Dayton, PA – If Zeus, the Greek god of the weather, visited much of Pennsylvania Thursday afternoon (Aug. 20), he was not very kind with a plentitude of showers, including enough moisture to cancel the Thursday program for Pennsylvania Fair Sire Stakes 3-year-olds at the Dayton (PA) Fair.
However, there were several top-level 2-year-olds who competed on the Wednesday (Aug. 19) program, contributing to their own impressive seasonal statistics, and in one case equaling a Dayton divisional standard.
Having broken the track record for two-year-old trotting males at Bedford earlier this month, the Fordham Road – RT Gloria De Dios gelding RT Road To Glory equaled the 2:04 mark at Dayton, which had been established by Nose Jammer last year.
RT Road Of Glory, whose 2:04 would also stand up as the co-fastest mile of the abbreviated meet with the pacing filly Honey Roll from the Beegle Stable, continued the recent run of success with the freshman trotters that has been enjoyed by the powerhouse combination of driver Eric Neal and trainer Tom Loughry Jr, primary for owner Brocious Racing Stable Inc. The threesome took the other “A” division with another Fordham Road gelding, RT Wonder Boy (dam Keystone Wonder).
Then as the grand finale on the “Triple A” day, the trio captured a division of the top baby filly trot with perhaps the star of the PA fair season so far, the Father Patrick – Wind Of The West miss Western Twister, home in 2:05.3. For a 2-year-old trotting filly, a division which in some minds might be synonymous with “unsettled behavior,” to have trotted seven fairgrounds half-milers with nary a loss is quite a special accomplishment. (No other PA fair horse, 2YO or 3YO, has exceeded five wins yet.)
Their special diamond gaited success also gave Neal and Loughry the horsemen’s crowns for the shortened Dayton meet.
The Circuit is right back in business (Zeus has indicated no interference until at earliest Saturday night) at the Crawford County Fairgrounds in Meadville on Friday (Aug. 21) and Saturday (Aug. 22), both cards starting at 1 p.m. The next Fair Circuit draw will be on Tuesday (Aug. 25) for 2 p.m. racing the following Thursday and Friday at the Indiana Fair.