by Jeff Zidek, information specialist, Pennsylvania Harness Racing Commission

Honesdale, PA — It was a record setting day on the Pennsylvania Fair Circuit, as Roger Hammer brought a pair of stars to the Wayne County Fairgrounds in Honesdale and left with two track records and a pair of bonus checks.

The fair board offered a $500 “bounty” on the old track records for pacers and trotters. The first horse to break the local standard on each gait would receive the bonus in additon to their purse check. Hammer brought two well known members of his stable, and they didn’t disappoint the large crowd in attendance.

Alastor Hanover lowered the track record on the pace to 1:56.2.

First up was Alastor Hanover, already the fastest horse ever on the PA Fair Circuit. While he didn’t manage to top his 1:54 at the Bloomsburg Fair set in 2007, he did pace the mile at Honesdale in 1:56.2 for owners Hammer and Vicki Fair. The former track record was 1:59.4, set seven years ago by KT Beaner.

Two races later, Hammer picked up another bonus check, this time with $3.1 million winner and Hambletonian champion Vivid Photo. The world champion trotted the Wayne County half-mile oval in 2:02, besting the former track standard of 2:03.1, co-held by Keystone Americus and BS Surgin Don. Hammer trains and co-owns Vivid Photo with Todd Schadel.

Hammer’s total take for the two races, including the bonus money, was a modest $1,900, but the events were more about showcasing fair racing than purse money.

Geri Schwarz photos

Vivid Photo crossed the wire in 2:02 for the trotting track record.

Nonetheless, Hammer picked up the lion’s share of the Pennsylvania Sire Stake money up for grabs on the remainder of the card, winning four of seven stake events on the afternoon.

The day’s richest race, the $11,305 sophomore filly PA Sire Stake pace was captured by Hammer and Nevin Gilbert’s My Gal Mykenna. The Real Artist filly paced the mile in 2:02.4.

Three divisions of the 3-year-old colt trot were up next, and Hammer won the first split with Dunn Stable’s Marjoe Hall (Tom Ridge) in 2:05.1. Detech (High Tech), out of the Syl King barn, scored in the second division in 2:07.2 with Wayne Long driving, while RT Picaadilly, trained and reined by Bobby Rougeaux, won the final grouping in 2:06.4. RT Picaadilly is a son of Ebanks.

The day’s other two stakes were for sophomore colt pacers, and Hammer swept the division with Cories Artist (Real Artist) and Luscious Al (Arturo). Cories Artist, owned by Vicki Fair, paced the mile in 2:00.2, while Luscious Al, owned by Hammer, was a 2:01.4 winner.

Meanwhile, nearly 400 miles away in Waynesburg, the Greene County Fair hosted 14 stakes events for freshmen.

Vocal Hanover (Allamerican Native) opened the card with a wire-to-wire win in the first division of the PASS 2-year-old filly pace. Trained and driven by Aaron Johnston, Vocal Hanover cut the first half in :59.4 before holding on for a 2:02.4 win.

Love You Always (Village Jolt) and trainer/driver Steve Schoeffel got up in the final strides in the second division to defeat At Herbest Hanover (The Panderosa) and driver Bernard Demars in 2:03.4.

The third split belonged to Coasting Hanover, a Dragon Again filly out of the Jim Rothfuss barn. Driven by Brad Provost, Coasting Hanover scored in 2:09.

The last filly pacing group winner was Another Bliss (Blissfull Hall), in rein to Kyle Bolon. Marty Wollam trains the filly, who has now won twice in seven starts after pacing in 2:05.3.

Three colt pacing events were next, and Stripe’n Star was strong in his division, winning in 2:03.3 for driver Chris Shaw. Jason Shaw owns and trains the No Pan Intended gelding, now a four-time winner in his career.

Fool To Cry (I Am A Fool) overcame a second-tier starting spot to win the second split in 2:03.1 for driver Eric Neal and trainer Randy Neal.

In the final division, Evening Shadows continued his perfect campaign for owner/trainer Charles Von See, who ships the horse in weekly from the state of Indiana. Evening Shadows, a gelding by Blissfull Hall, had post seven in the second tier, and driver Chris Shaw refused to let the dust settle early. Shaw kept the horse in the three-wide path through the first turn before eventually clearing to the lead just past the first eighth mark. Evening Shadows never looked back, cruising to an impressive win under wraps in 2:01.1 with a last half in :59.2. The pacer is now six-for-six in his career.

Two $5,999 divisions of the freshman colt trot were next, and Hot Hot Broadway (Broadway Hall) was a winner for trainer/driver Fred Uber in the first division in 2:08.2. In the second group, Cadence Hall (Chip Chip Hooray) won in 2:06.2 for trainer/driver Bill Daugherty.

In the first division of the PASS filly trot, Kelpie Hanover was a winner for trainer/driver Marty Wollam in 2:05.1, a lifetime best. The SJ’s Caviar filly has now won four times in five starts.

The second division was led by Mynah Hanover, an easy winner for Schoeffel in 2:07.3. The Cantab Hall filly won in wire-to-wire fashion.

Finally, the third filly trot was won by Filly Bay, who came up the inside to get the win in 2:09.1 for trainer/driver Bill Fahy. It was the first career win for Filly Bay, a daughter of Chip Chip Hooray.

The day’s final two races were Quaker Stakes, for PA-owned or PA-sired horses. In the pacing division, Born For Speed (Stand Forever) was a winner in 2:05.3 for trainer/driver Bill Daumit. In the trotting stake, MM’s Copper Touch (Malabar Millennium) won his first career start in 2:14.1 for trainer/driver Brian Weaver.

Racing continues on Thursday at both Honesdale and Waynesburg.

For video from the PA Fair Circuit, visit www.pafairharness.com.