ATTRIBUTION – from the Pennsylvania Fair Harness Horsemen Association, Pennsylvania Harness Horsemen’s Association, and Meadows Standardbred Owners Association partnership
Bloomsburg, PA – The final stops on the 2026 Pennsylvania Fair Circuit for harness racing took place this past Friday (2-year-olds) and Saturday (3-year-olds) at the historic Bloomsburg Fairgrounds oval in the northeast section of the state.
With the conclusion of the season, the various divisional champions, the top eligibles for the $200,000 Pennsylvania Fair Sire Stakes Championships on Oct. 9 at The Meadows, and other statistical categories have come to the end of their calculations. The Standardbred Bureau of the Pennsylvania State Horse Racing Commission is the official controlling body of the program, and after results are certified early next week, a season summary release is scheduled. This report will focus on this past weekend’s racing at Bloomsburg.
Coming into this weekend, there had been 36 miles in 2:00 or less during the first 18 stops on this year’s circuit – and amazingly, there were nine horses leading the speed production with two 2:00 miles each. Bloomsburg saw three more 2:00 miles, and two of the three winners were among the nine with two magic miles, to give them a share of that final leadership. One was a 3-year-old pacing male, a group which has posted over 40% of the season’s fast clockings, but one of them was a 2-year-old pacing filly, Honey Roll, who went the fastest mile of her division in 2026 at the fairs, 1:58.3.
Honey Roll (Stay Hungry – Pleasant Roll) has won each of her last three starts in 2:00 or less, and looks to be in top form approaching the Championships. Trainer Sam Beegle has used Todd Schadel in her last two victories; she’s seven for 10 overall for Bay Pond Racing Stable.
The season’s leader among the filly’s colt counterparts is the Papi Rob Hanover – Warrawee Quick colt Fast Getaway, who came within a fifth of the 2026 circuit record for his group with a 1:57.2 Bloomsburg win. Cody Schadel was the winning driver; Todd Schadel is the winning trainer; and father and son are the owners.
The big head-to-head showdown between the top two trotting fillies – Western Twister and Sister Saloon, both 8-7-1-0 at the fairs – was won by Western Twister, a daughter of Father Patrick – Wind Of The West, which is likely to make her the favorite for her Championship. Eric Neal drove the fleet filly in the 2:01.4 mile for trainer Tom Loughry Jr. and Brocious Racing Stable Inc. The baby trotting fillies had the time advantage over the males in both “A” divisions and all “B” sections.
When the 4-year-olds took to the track Saturday, by far the most impressive winner was the Bettor’s Wish gelding More Than Guapo, who bettered the 1:57.1 time he had recorded in his two victories at Gratz with a 1:56.4 victory, fastest mile of the meet and almost five seconds faster than any other sophomore winning time. Driver David Wiest, trainer Justin Wiest, and owner Bimmie Strausser can also put double importance on this win – it gives the horse the required five fair entries, and it appears to give him enough points to go to The Meadows on Oct. 9.
That second-fastest mile among the 3-year-olds, 2:01.3, was put in by a trotter, the Captain Corey gelding Clark, who led a 1-2 sweep of this “A” race by the Steve Schoeffel shedrow; Schoeffel also drove Clark for Kathy Schoeffel, Brady Brown, and Marian Schilling.
Three 3-year-old pacing fillies came to Bloomsburg with seven wins at the fairs; the only one to leave with eight was the Tall Dark Stranger filly Lovebug Hanover, who was driven by Kyle Bolon for trainer Kevin Johnson and P T Stable. Lovebug Hanover was the filly who was claimed at The Meadows and has gone eight-for-nine for her new connections; now she has a shot for $25,000, not bad money for a “claimer.”
Eric Neal had six sulky successes during the two-day meet to take that crown; Todd Schadel sent out six winners from his shedrow to edge Tom Loughery Jr. by one (Neal drove the five Loughery winners).
There are 13 days as of this writing until the Championships. Some horses will try to find a race to stay sharp; others will take the time off to prepare for the big money at the end of the Pennsylvania Fair Circuit trail.