by Thom Pye, for the Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association

Columbus, OH — It was a 12 p.m. post time on Monday (July 31) at the Wood County Fair in Bowling Green, Ohio, and the weather could not have been any better.

Race Secretary/announcer Bill Peters sent the first of the 10-race card out in a punctual and orderly post parade as the Ohio Fair Racing Conference stakes were underway.

In the first race Richard Noel’s Real Sexy Lady (Art’s Chip) took command and led her fellow 3-year-olds the entire mile as she paced to a new lifetime mark of 2:01.3h for her trainer Corinne Flis with Pierce Henry urging her on.

The $4,919 OFRC 2-year-old filly trot had the My MVP lass Bugs MVP getting her initial trip to the winner’s circle with catch-driver Cameron McCown in her fourth lifetime start as they completed the double.

J. Duke Sugg was behind owner/trainer/breeder Darrell Baird’s Mothersday Miracle as the 2-year-old pacing daughter of Allamerican Native upset previous winners Believe In Waco and A Oliveinmymartini in their $4,994 OFRC stake as she led them home in 2:02.3h for a new lifetime tab.

The $4,919 OFRC second division went to Gerald Mijal’s Believeincarrie as the Steve Novak-trained/Art McIllmrray-driven Believeincruiser lass made it three for five with a rated mile in 2:04h.

And Pierce Henry got his three-bagger with L&L Devisser LLC and Tina Seekman’s Won For Gigi as the Joe Seekman-trained 3-year-old filly by Santana Blue Chip grabbed her $3,235 OFRC division as she paced her mile in 2:03.3h.

When the 167th Preble County Fair advertised for their “speed program” it was as promised and right from the start of the Sunday (July 30) card there were some very explosive miles.

The first race, first division of the Signature Series saw Bill Johnson and Tom Voress’ Secretsoftheknight win by four with a mile in 1:57.3h. The Jennifer Redmond-conditioned 8-year-old Mach Three horse, a lifetime winner of more than $560,000, was driven by Indiana mainstay Tom Luther.

And the crowd got their monies worth in the second half of the double as Scott Cisco guided Richard Weherley’s K’s Boy to a mile in 1:58.4h in the $4,956 Ohio Colt Racing Association 3-year-old colt pace. The gelded son of Woodstock is trained by Craig Bowman and now has three in a row in Ohio.

It would be the Luther-driven/Redmond-trained combo taking the second division of the Signature Series with Jennifer Redmond’s own Camluck 7-year-old Grantor Hanover as he paced to a mile in 1:57.3h.

The $4,849 OCRA third division for 3-year-old fillies would go to Black Magic Racing LLC’s Salt And Pepper. The roan Big Bad John lass is trained by Sherri Holliday and driven by Ken Holiday. It would be their third winning stakes effort on the day.

The Ohio Ladies Pace produced another classic showdown as the ladies battled it head-to-head the entire mile. When it was all clear the Don Gibson-trained My Hare Lady and current series point-leader Ulrika Fox had bested their nemeses in 1:59h.

And Amear Najor’s Andy Roo broke the all-time Eaton track record in the Signature Series third division with a blistering mile of 1:56h. Tyler Smith catch-drove the classy 12-year-old winner of more than $865,000 for trainer Sharif Cunmulaj to a blanket finish over Hard Cold Cash and Who’szoominwho in the evening’s finale.