by Jerry Connors, for the PA Harness Racing Commission

York, PA — McAlvin is undefeated in six starts at the PA fairs. He has won five times in 2:00 or faster, including the co-fastest miles of 1:57; holds the all-age track record at Meadville and Stoneboro; and was the fastest winner of the week at the York Fair when he tallied Tuesday (Sept. 10) in 1:58.1.

Keystone Wanda is the only horse besides McAlvin to have more than one “magic mile” at the Keystone fairs this year with three, and she’s the second-fastest performer of both the season (1:57.2) and during Tuesday’s York races (1:58.2).

And both sophomore pacers are on the outside looking in at Oct. 5’s Fair championships at The Meadows, with only two more fair stops left.

Both horses’ connections — McAlvin is trained by Bob Krenitsky, Jr. for Julie Krenitsky, and Keystone Wanda is conditioned by Todd Schadel and co-owned by Todd and Christine Schadel — obviously recognize the abilities and potential of their horses, and both have raced much of the year at pari-mutuel tracks, including in the Stallion Series (where McAlvin won the championship last year).

But after having done so, understandably, both find themselves five points out of the top nine point earners that make the finals, so they will likely be trying to continue their strong form at Gratz and then Bloomsburg — and hope that not too many others amass many points, so they can “climb” into the championships.

McAlvin went wire-to-wire in 1:58.1-:58.4-:28.3 for driver Chris Shaw. The McArdle gelding was six lengths clear of divisional (and overall) point leader Jungle Of Terror, who gave chase from the pocket, at the wire.

Keystone Wanda and Schadel also used engine tactics (both horses drew the rail at York to boot) and won almost as easily, as the daughter of Somebeachsomewhere was 5-1/4 lengths clear on the money.

That win gave her sire a sweep of the filly pace’s two divisions as Naked On The Beach ran her fair record to 10-7-3-0 with her fourth straight win, here in 2:01.2-:28.3 for driver Brady Brown, trainer Dan Walski, and owner Howard Millhime.

One horse who definitely has qualified for the finals — in fact, on Tuesday she claimed the points championship in the 3-year-old filly trot division (joining 2-year-old pacing filly La Fiesta as the only to do so so far) — is the very fast trotting filly Monroe County. The daughter of Glidemaster certainly has made a strong impression at the fairs this year, what with the quickest diagonally-gaited mile of the year, 2:00.1, two all-age track records and two other divisional track records.

She has also overcome early breaks to win, which she did Tuesday and still posted the fastest trot mile of the meet, 2:03.1, for driver Aaron Johnston (who got dumped in a first race breaking/interference mishap but got right back up) and trainer John McMullen, Jr., the latter co-owner with Michelle McMullen.

Finishing Lines: These really are “finishing lines,” as they tell you that the circuit will finish its season at Gratz this Sunday and Monday, and then at Bloomsburg on Sept. 20, 23, and 24…In recapping Monday’s 2-year-old action, it should be noted that the fastest times of the local fair season for 2-year-old trotting colts (Fly Past Hanover, 2:04), 2-year-old trotting fillies (Bella Palazzo, 2:04.2) and 2-year-old pacing fillies (Southern Sweetie, 2:01) were recorded over the York oval.