by Jerry Connors, for the PA Harness Racing Commission

Meadville, PA — When the Crawford County (PA) Fair advertises “First race 12:30 p.m.,” you’ll want to be in your seat by then — otherwise, on the last two days of racing at the Meadville oval, you would have missed the all-age track records for both trotters and pacers.

On Wednesday, Classicality trotted the fastest mile ever at Meadville, 2:01, in the day’s first race, and Thursday, a day featuring sophomore pacers, McAlvin closed out the four-day stand by opening the card with a triumph in 1:58.1 — the fastest mile ever at the northwest Pennsylvania fair oval, lowering by three-fifths of a second Lahaye’s former mark.

McAlvin’s victory was not a surprise — he’s started at the fairs three times, and he’s won all three in three of the four fastest PA fair clockings of the year. The McArdle gelding certainly added to his burgeoning reputation Thursday, defeating divisional points leader Skyline’s Finale for driver Chris Shaw (more on him in a bit), trainer Robert Krenitsky. Jr. and owner Julie Krenitsky.

Another divisional track mark was broken — or should we say rebroken? — when the Allamerican Native filly She’salilfireball, defending Fair champion in this class, burned around Meadville in 2:01.1 for driver Aaron Johnston and trainer/owner Bob Grover. The previous mark of 2:01.3 was set on June 23 of this year — by none other than She’salilfireball!

In another division of the 3-year-old pacing filly event, In A Better Place became the first horse to record eight victories on the PA twicearound trail this year, with a :29.1 last quarter at the end of a 2:03.1 mile. Chris Shaw handled the daughter of Christian Cullen for brother/trainer Jason and owner Amanda Beinhauer. In A Better Place also now has 55 points in the season-long standings, one more than her colt counterpart Skylite’s Finale.

The Meadville track crew should be commended for their fine work over the four days, as no fewer than seven divisional standards were broken or tied, including the clocking of the fastest miles ever on the trot and pace; add these to the two records set during the earlier two-day meet, including Monroe County’s then-tying of the trot mark, and you had nine rewritings in the Meadville record book.

And to close, the opening remark about “being there for the start of the racing” is even truer than you may think — Classicality, McAlvin, and She’salilfireball all set their records in the first division of their contests, and five of the nine Meadville marks were accomplished in the opening division of a stake. This of course is no surprise in general Pennsylvania terms, where an astounding 13 of 22 (59 percent) divisional marks inscribed this season have come in the first division of events that have averaged 3.01 divisions per overall stake.

Finishing Lines: Sires Allamerican Native and Somebeachsomwehere had doubles, as did owner/trainer/driver Roger Hammer…We’ll mention the name of Hammer’s second winner, who took her career bow, as some solace to Bob Heyden and the fans of Da Bronx Bombahs — she’s called The Yankees Win…The PA fair schedule goes on double duty this coming Tuesday and Wednesday, with action at both Indiana and Wattsburg — which will be honored as the USTA’s Blue Ribbon Fair during their meet.