by Jerry Connors, for the PA Harness Racing Commission

Bloomsburg, PA — The Bloomsburg Fair, home to fast racing and traditionally the last stop on the Pennsylvania fair circuit, changed its format this year and raced the eight divisions of its time-honored Bloomsburg Stakes, worth some $45,000 in 2013, on the Friday of the fair’s opening, with hard work by the track crew restoring some jet to a surface dulled by elements the previous couple days.

Of the eight races, Roger Hammer, still wearing his “neck”-lace 23 days after his auto accident coming home from the Indiana Fair, did not have a horse in the last race.

In another contest, he had two; bound by the rules to drive the one he owned, he saw his other trainee win.

A third event saw Hammer behind the leader until the far turn, where his horse skipped briefly but recovered for second. (The caretaker for that winner, by the way, a young Amish fellow, ironically also wore a neck brace — and then said, “And I had mine before Hammer!”)

Roger drove the day’s other five winners ($15,352 in driver earnings on the afternoon), in all harnessed four ($11,554), and owned three ($8,957, including a race where he owned or co-owned three of the four starters). Of the 35 “calls” (1/4, 1/2, 3/4, stretch, and finish) of the septet of races he had an interest in, a Hammer horse led at 30 of those calls.

Pretty dominating day.

The fastest of the wins came in the card opener, behind a daughter of Somebeachsomewhere (who sired both 3-year-old pace winners), Cebu Hanover, who seems to be learning to effectively use the speed she had always shown as she tallied for Team Hammer in 1:59.

Owner Hammer’s other victories came with 3-year-old colt pacer Camturo Beach in 2:00.1 and 2-year-old colt pacer A OK Hanover in 2:00.2.

He also got home a pair of (naturally owned-trained-homebred trotting) horses for Boots Dunn, the 3-year-old colt Classicality and the 2-year-old filly Glide By Shooting, both in 2:04.

In between the blows from the Hammer, also gracing Victory Lane were 3-year-old trotting filly Chrissy O, with the injured Amish groom (driver Marc Mosher, trainer Syl King, Jr., 2:04.3); the Hammer trainee he didn’t drive, 2-year-old pacing filly Witch N Famous (driver Brady Brown, 2:04); and 2-year-old trotting colt Millertown Road (2:05.2), with trainer/announcer Jim McGettigan interviewing driver Bryce Truitt while posing for the photographer.

Finishing Lines: The Keystone fair season ends this coming Monday and Tuesday with the last chance for horses to earn enough points to ensure spots in the Pennsylvania Fair Sire Stakes Championship, to be held Saturday evening (Oct. 5) at The Meadows. Sophomores face the starting gate at 10:30 a.m. Monday; freshmen will be on their way at the same time Tuesday.