Mount Vernon, OH — Veteran driver Don Irvine Jr. was knocking at the door with four seconds at the Painesville Fair located up near Lake Erie on Tuesday (July 23), but when the nine-race card concluded at 2:20 p.m. Irvine, as well as several other drivers, made the two hour and 15 minute journey southwest to the scenic Knox County Fair in Mount Vernon to arrive well in time for the 6 p.m. first race post time.

The talented teamster with more than 7,350 lifetime wins to his credit, chalked up five more victories to his total and they were all aboard five young trotters.

Beginning in the second race with the Wes Hershberger-trained Dream Creation, a 2-year-old Winning Fireworks gelding taking the $4,079 Home Talent Colt Stakes first division by seven open lengths in 2:08, Irvine would then draw off from the field again by 3-3/4 lengths with Eye Ona Mission in 2:04.4 in a division of the 3-year-old filly trot.

Dream Change then dominated the 2-year-old filly trotters in 2:06.2 by 15-3/4 lengths for Irvine’s third winner. SC Rompin Roxanne had her third in a row for owner/trainer Hershberger when Irvine piloted the 2-year-old Roush Hanover filly to a new lifetime tab of 2:05.4 by 1-3/4 lengths. Irvine’s fifth win came with Breakthemagic in 2:06.2 in another division of the 3-year-old filly trot.

Cam McCown had a driving double as he took Ron Steck and Jeff Breece’s Pet Rock gelding Me And Mrs Jones wire-to-wire in 1:59 in the $5,153 3-year-old pacing male first division and came back with Trump’s Wall (another Steck trainee) in the second division as the altered son of McArdle stepped off a last panel in :28.3 with a mile in 2:01.2.

Also taking two was Jason Thompson as he had back-to-back wins with Walski Stables’ McFly in 1:59 in a conditioned pace and then with Carl Easterday Jr.’s Haya Wrangler (by Southwind Wrangler) in 2:09.4 in the $4,079 Home Talent for 2-year-old male trotters.

A large and appreciative crowd was on hand and the Text Trivia players were fast and furious as we hadn’t had so many since Little Brown Jug week last September.