from the PA Fair Harness Horsemen’s Association

Gratz, PA — Camera Lady’s 14-race winning streak on the Pennsylvania fair circuit came to an end on Sunday (Sept. 18) during the first day of a two-day meet at the Gratz fair.

The gallant pacing filly again showed her ability, missing by just a nose to a very good four-time fair winner named U Bettor Git in a stretch duel that had the fans in the Gratz grandstand up and cheering like few other races in many a year in this central Pennsylvania town.

Seth Dowling photo

U Bettor Git upset Camera Lady on Sunday.

Camera Lady left from the outside post six and tucked third in a fast first quarter of :29.2, then stayed inside when the outer tier — Marvalous B T first-over with U Bettor Git behind — moved up to challenge to the 1:02 half and beyond, with Camera Lady still charted fourth inside at the 1:33.2 three-quarter pole.

At this point U Bettor Git and driver Shawn Johnston got the jump by moving three-wide and getting to within a half-length of leading Keystone Nikki at the stretch call, with Camera Lady still two lengths out. U Bettor Git got a stretch advantage, but Camera Lady had angled out and was flying, but proved just a bit less photogenic than the deserving winner, a daughter of Bettor’s Delight trained by Bob Rougeaux III for owners Sarah and Maria DeCarlo.

As for Camera Lady, this is not her first losing race as she tried the big girls in a pari-mutuel Sire Stakes in July and was race-timed in 1:56.2 but got no money. She took her mark of 1:58.1 in an overnight win at The Meadows, with her 15-win figure still leaving her as the co-winningest pacer in North America, tied with older mares Velocity Vespa and Mademoiselle Paris.

The Gratz meet was less than three minutes old when a track record went into the books, as the Donato Hanover 2-year-old trotting filly All Set Lets Go reported home 7-1/2 length clear in 2:01.4, equaling the local standard for age, sex, and gait first notched by Glide By Shooting in 2013.

Chris Shaw handled sulky duty behind All Set Lets Go for trainer John McMullen and the McMullen Stable LLC. The clocking was also a season’s record for the Pennsylvania fair circuit.

Roger Hammer, trainer/driver and co-owner with Vicki Fair, swept the 2-year-old colt pace with two horses very familiar with the twice-around circuit’s Victory Lane — the Real Artist gelding Artists Ruffles, who ran his fair record to 11-10-1-0, the last eight wins in a row, with a 2:00.1 triumph; and eight-time fair winner Marvalous Artist, now on a three-race win skein after the Delmarvalous gelding stepped home in :29 to complete a 2:01.4 win.

Wayne Long had three driving victories on the day, including two in the freshman colt trot. He won for trainer Bob Rougeaux with the Lucky Chucky gelding Vegas Chuck in 2:03.2, continuing that freshman being perfect in five fair starts. But, even supposing he would win at Bloomsburg next week, Vegas Chuck is on the bubble to make his $25,000 divisional Championship on Oct. 8 at The Meadows, with eight rivals already ringing up more than the 210 point maximum he could reach.

The 3-year-olds will take to the track at Gratz at high noon on Monday.