Honesdale, PA — Ante Up Hanover, a 5-year-old altered son of Betting Line, won a division of the free-for-all pace at the Wayne County Fair on Wednesday (Aug. 12) in 1:56.4, coming within two-fifths of a second of the 16-year-old all-age track mark of Alastor Hanover.
Trainer Cody Schadel, who conditions the horse for his parents, Todd and Christine, took the driving assignment as the pacer, a recent 1:51.4 winner at Pocono, won off by himself. A Fair Sire Stakes winner at Honesdale at 2, Ante Up Hanover now has career earnings of $205,764.
Besides Alastor Hanover’s, there are two other pacing records that were established at still-racing Pennsylvania fairs in 2010: Straight Character set the Indiana and Washington standards that have stood this test of time. On the trotting side, every track record has been broken since 2011 except one: At Indiana, Keystone Badger’s speed mark of 2:00 has been in place for 38 years now.
Honesdale annually conducts a free-for-all event on both the pace and the trot. The other division of the free-for-all pace went to Honesdale’s own Richard Dunn, trainer and co-owner with MBC Stables, of Rusty Beach, a Monticello Open performer who won “at home” in 1:58.2 guided by Eric Neal. The free-for-all trot on Thursday (Aug. 13) was won by a Schadel “family team,” but in the other direction: Todd drove Menotti to victory for his father, owner/trainer Bruce Schadel.
For a two-day meet with 22 races, there were many horses who earned distinction. The fastest freshman pacer on the Wednesday was the Papi Rob Hanover-Warrawee Quick colt Fast Getaway (“A,” Todd Schadel, 2:02); fillies Dragon Flame (Todd Schadel) and Honey Roll (Sam Beegle) won “A” events in 2:02.2.
Among baby trotters, the Father Patrick-Wind Of The West filly Western Twister is now undefeated in five “A” starts after a 2:04 triumph for driver Eric Neal, trainer Tom Loughry Jr., and Brocious Racing Stable Inc.; that same combination had the fastest of the freshmen at 2:03.3, RT Road To Glory (Fordham Road-RT Gloria De Dios).
Among the 3-year-old trotters, who competed Thursday, Neal/Loughry Jr. swept the “A” contests, with the Fordham Road gelding RT Wonder Colt in 2:03.3 for “Rocky Top” Brocious, and the Father Patrick filly Hot For Her in 2:05.1 for Lone Wolf Stable.
Among the sophomore pacing fillies, both “A” winners tied the all-divisions fair seasonal mark with their fifth victories for Team Todd Schadel: the Bettor’s Wish filly Don’t Be Late, in 2:02.4, and the Papi Rob Hanover miss Papi Knows, in 2:02.2. The “B” winner also came from Todd’s barn, and she won for the fifth time, but they’ve all been in the lower class – Dark Sky (Tall Dark Stranger). The same stable also had the fastest sophomore in the Tall Dark Stranger gelding Fourbyfourbyyou in 2:02.
This Honesdale meet was the “fair meet,” following the earlier 2-Day Fair Sire Stakes meet. Todd Schadel won this stand’s driving and training title.
The Pennsylvania fair circuit now goes 341 miles to the Washington County Fair (just down the road from The Meadows), held over the oval known as Arden Downs and once a home of Grand Circuit racing. Entries will be drawn on Friday for racing on Sunday, Aug. 16 (scheduled at 10 a.m.) and Monday, Aug. 17 (11 a.m.). This is the busiest fair week of the Pennsylvania summer: After Washington they’ll be at Dayton on Wednesday and Thursday (Aug. 19-20) and Meadville on Friday and Saturday (Aug. 21-22).