Meyersdale, PA — Two-year-olds were the stars of the show at the Somerset County Fairgrounds, in southwestern Pennsylvania, as the babies set two track records and produced the fastest mile of the two-day meet in Thursday’s (Aug. 15) action.
The 2-year-old Cantab Hall-Lucky Witch freshman filly Lucky Station trotted in 2:07.3 to lower the divisional standard set by Miss Class in 2022 by two-fifths of a second. Aaron Johnston trains and drove the new record holder for his wife, Jennifer, and co-owner Brian Taylor. The filly’s feat was even more impressive considering that Classy Cocktail, a six-time winner and fair season’s record holder for this group, had to settle for second.
Baby Tao knocked a fifth off the parallel standard for males by posting a 2:04.3 clocking. The altered son of Bar Hopping opened his fair campaign with a win, then recorded six straight second-place finishes before winning a tick faster than former record holder Blame It On Texas, set last year, for trainer-driver Tony Schadel, who shares ownership with his wife, Linda, and Presli Poletti.
The Sweet Lou-Breakheart Pass gelding Compensate Me has now won in all three starts, in sub-2:01 time, since coming to the fairs and trainer Jeffrey Indof. On Thursday, he paced the quickest mile of the two days of racing, 2:00.4, for driver Aaron Johnston and owners Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC.
Youthful veteran horseman Bob Krenitsky Jr. closed out Thursday’s action with his first-ever driving victory behind Wine Chaser.
The swiftest clocking during Friday’s (Aug. 16) 3-year-old competition was turned in by a trotter. The Fordham Road filly Little Town Road, the 2023 fair circuit champion, went in a brisk 2:01.4 for veteran owner-trainer-driver Roger Hammer. In eight fair starts this year, Little Town Road has two wins, one break, and five seconds to Loveyoubunches; before that, she had posted thirds in three pari-mutuel stakes races: two Stallion Series events and a Pennsylvania All-Stars contest.
Aaron Johnston won both the drivers’ and trainers’ derby at Meyersdale. He guided five winners, with brother Shawn and Tony Schadel next in line with three; his four training triumphs was one more than the figure posted by Tony Schadel.
The marathon week of Pennsylvania fair harness racing comes to a close at the Crawford County Fairgrounds, in Meadville, Pa., where there will be 1 p.m. programs on both Saturday (Aug. 17) and Sunday (Aug. 18).