Dayton, PA — The Pennsylvania Fair Circuit swung right back into action with a “2-Day Fair Sire Stakes Event” at the Dayton Fairgrounds, with 2-year-olds racing on Saturday (July 11) and the 3-year-olds in action the next day (July 12).
The very first horse to post parade before the first race of the meet would turn out to be the pacer who authored not only the fastest mile of the meet, 3-year-olds included, but also the fastest freshman mile of the young fair season. That would be the Always B Miki – Cheyenne Deo colt Kurt, who froze the stopwatches in 2:01, his second straight success at the fairs, under the guidance of Eric Neal. Owned by Stephen Brochu, Kurt is trained by Bill Daugherty Jr., renowned for his success rate with trotters, but here showing his ability to get a pacer to top form.
The other division of the colt pace went to the only horse who has won at each of the first three fair stops this year – Lucas Hanover, a Stay Hungry – Latte Lady gelding who won here in 2:05 for trainer-driver Todd Schadel, co-owner with wife Christine.
The fastest freshman trotter at Dayton was the Father Patrick – Wind Of The West filly Western Twister, who made her fair debut a successful one in 2:04.3. Eric Neal was in the sulky for trainer Tom Loughry Jr. and the famous Brocious Racing Stable Inc.
On Sophomore Sunday, the fastest time was posted by that rarest of creatures on the Fair Circuit – a horse who had been claimed in her last start! A winner of two straight conditioned claimers at The Meadows, the Tall Dark Stranger filly Lovebug Hanover attracted P T Stable and trainer Kevin Johnson enough to halter her, and she paid immediate dividends by switching to the twicearound circuit and winning in 2:01.1 – maybe not the 1:52.1 she had gone two back, but enough to grab her Dayton 3-year-old honors, even over the colts, with Kyle Bolon driving.
Fastest trot for the 3-year-olds was by the Captain Corey gelding Clark, another contributor to driver-trainer Steve Schoeffel getting off to a fast start at the fairs. The 2:02.2 winner is owned by Kathy Schoeffel, Brady Brown, and Marian Schilling.
Todd Schadel and Schoeffel were the top win producers at Dayton, with six and four respectively on both the driving and training sides.
The next racing on the PA Fair Circuit will be at the Clearfield Fair, the only stop that races over four days, this coming Saturday (July 18) through Tuesday (July 21). Two-year-olds race the first two days, 3-year-olds round out the action. Post time is 5:30 p.m. on the first and last day and 1 p.m. on the middle two; declarations for all four days of racing will be due on Thursday (July 16) at 10 a.m., as is standard.