by Ayers Ratliff, for the Ashland County Fair

Ashland, OH — The 2016 Ashland County Fair harness racing had something to offer every harness fan. The Monday (Sept. 19) doubleheader featured a nine-race card at noon and nine more races at 6 p.m.

OU Master Man crossed the finish line faster than any other trotter in the fair’s history when he won the $1,500 FFA Trot in 2:00.3 in the third race of the day. The clocking crushed the former 2:03.3 mark set by Miller Hi Flight in 1998. Crist Hershberger owns, trains and drove the 4-year-old gelding to victory.

Race seven of the evening card was when the FFA Pacers took the stage and Bourbon St Hanover lowered the fair’s pacing record to 1:58. The former record was 1:58.2 set by Cowan Esq in 2002. Jeff Lieberman drove the 8-year-old gelding for owner/trainer Jamie Coffy.

Eighteen-year-old Hunter Myers was the youngest driver at the fair and posted a win with Big Bad ET in the second race of the day, while 75-year-old Don McKirgan posted an evening driving double with Rose Run Rae in the second race and Aloha John in race five.

Two females competed on the program. Christina Evans finished fifth with Algorithm in the day card’s third race and Naquel Harvey finished fourth in the second race of the evening program.

Luke Ebersole was the fair’s leading driver, winning four of the day’s 18 races. Dubbed “Long Shot Luke,” Ebersole posted the highest return of the fair with Mel Rose Dunn, returning $107.40. He also won with Ashley’s In Town ($33.20), Two Days Ditto ($11.00) and TT’s Ebony ($16.00). The day marks Ebersole’s first driving quadruple of his career.