by Jerry Connors, for the PA Harness Racing Commission

Gratz, PA — The freshman Glidemaster filly Glide By Shooting posted a 2:01.4 victory in Pennsylvania Sire Stakes action at the Gratz Fair on Sunday (Sept. 15), thereby reducing that local trotting divisional mark by 1-1/5 seconds, eclipsing the standard set by Classical Original ten years minus two days before.

Roger Hammer, a visitor to Victory Lane three times Sunday, handled the fast miss for owner/trainer/breeder Boots Dunn, who also campaigned Glide By Shooting’s mom, 2006 Fair champion She’sfastandfurious.

Fifteen minutes earlier Hammer and Dunn had combined to take another division of the event with the Tom Ridge filly Bella Palazzo in 2:04.3. Bella Palazzo, a nine-time fair winner with the last eight in succession, assured herself a tie as division points champion with the Equinox Bi miss Bessie, herself home first eight times over the twicearounds, winning this time in 2:03.2 for owner/trainer/driver Dave Brickell, to keep Bella Palazzo’s lead at 63-58 with one stop and its five points for win, at least mathematically in the frame. This trio seems the class of their group right now — they won by a combined 27-1/4 lengths.

For the second time in six days driver Steve Schoeffel combined with trainer Bill Daugherty, Jr. and owner Susan Daugherty to take two cuts of the 3-year-old colt trot, and with the same horses: the Cantab Hall gelding Fly Past Hanover and the Broadway Hall gelding Broadway Charm. Also appearing to be in the thick of this section is the Oh So White gelding Whitey Lauxmont (owner/trainer/driver Brickell), who started at the fairs with eight straight wins, made breaks in the next two races, but then rebounded Sunday to win the fastest cut in 2:05.

The Yankee Cruiser pacing colt A OK Hanover, Hammer-owned-trained-driven, remained undefeated in six starts at the fairs by winning the fastest section of his freshman event in 2:00.3. Last week A OK Hanover set the pace, then held off a furious late rush from previously fair unbeaten El Chivato; this week El Chivato attacked early from his outside draw, but Hammer kept him out on the limb throughout, and as the pace slackened late this week it was TSM Wulfi T narrowing in but not quite getting there against the double track record holder.

Ironically, though, even if A OK Hanover would win at Bloomsburg a week from today, he still would have only 35 points — wth nine horses ahead of him for the eight-horse final, and another two within two points of that fugure.

La Fiesta, the first freshman to clinch her title, paced the fastest mile of the day, 2:00.2, with the Western Terror miss going right down the road for Team Shaw (driver Chris, trainer Jason, and owner Mason).

Finishing Lines: The 3-year-olds take to the Gratz track Monday, starting at 11:30 a.m….Glide By Shooting and La Fiesta posted season’s records for the PA fair circuit with their Sunday triumphs…And it should be noted that the consistent trotting colt Mr Weaver, though not a winner Sunday, also clinched his divisional point total with his crossing under the wire third.