Wattsburg, PA – Once again the fair horseperson’s worst enemy – rain – hit the Pennsylvania Fair Circuit, this time in Wattsburg PA at the Erie County Fair in the northwest corner of the state, where the Sunday (Aug. 30) card for 2-year-olds was raced, but then the Monday (Aug. 31) program for e-year-olds was washed out.
The best mile of the abbreviated meet was turned in by the Greenshoe – Accustom trotting gelding Custom Order, who stopped the watches in 2:04.2, just a tick behind the Wattsburg divisional record set by Cyclone Ben three years and two days earlier. Custom Order overcame the second tier post five in winning for the fourth time in the fairs’ “A” class for the partnership of trainer Linda and driver Tony Schadel. He also had the fastest freshman trotting time.
The lone division of top filly trotters resulted in the fifth “A” win, and third in a row, for the Father Patrick – Bar Bar distaff Sister Saloon, who needed only a 2:07 mile to win for driver Chris Shaw, trainer Ashley Brown, and owners Sandy Petersen and Alexa Brown.
The Always B Miki – Cheyenne Deo colt Kurt, coming off a divisional track record at Indiana, has to his credit a Stallion Series win and six victories in an undefeated “A” campaign after a 2:04.4 win for driver Aaron Johnston, trainer Bill Daugherty Jr., and owner Stephan Brochu. The fastest mile of the meet was the 2:03.3 recorded by the Captain Crunch – Fast Machine gelding Fast Crunch for driver-trainer Steven Walters and owner David Bellantonio.
The quicker of the two “A” pacing filly cuts went to the Stay Hungry – Thats What I Said baby Thats Faith, undefeated in five “A” starts after a 2:06.1 mile for driver-trainer Steve Schoeffel and the ownership of Kathy and Brent Schoeffel, Roger Romesser, and Marian Schilling. Steve Schoeffel had three Sunday wins to take the driving and training title at the abbreviated meet.
And then the rain came overnight. Wattsburg’s all-age track record is 2:00.1, first set by two-year-old Venier Hanover on August 29, 2017 and then equaled by three-year-old Midway Island a day later (the present writer was timer for both miles). Now it will be another year before Wattsburg gets its first Magic Mile.
The Pennsylvania Fair Circuit will be back in action at Stoneboro with a noon starting time on Wednesday (freshmen) and Thursday (sophomores), with the cards already drawn.