by Bill Peters, Regional Coordinator, the Ohio Fair Racing Conference

Edgerton, OH — The Ohio Fair Racing Conference kicked off the Ohio fair harness racing season this past week with two evenings of racing at the Paulding County Fair at Paulding. Heavy rains in the two days prior to the opening session left the track raceable, but not up to the condition that it usually is.

There were 185 entries for the two evenings with 118 in the eight 2-year-old and 3-year-old colt and filly stakes and 67 in the five overnight races. The first evening had 14 races with 15 races contested the second evening. Four of the stakes races had three divisions, while the other four had two divisions each.

Catscratch Fever (Indian Fever-AKT Celebration) turned in the fastest pacing mile with a time of 2:03.4. The 3-year-old colt pacer is co-owned by Bill Webb and the D and K Stables LLC. Webb also trains the gelding with Mark Headworth picking up the winning drive.

Cooter Dunn (Neely Dunn-Sweet Edith) trotted a mile in 2:06 in one of the splits of the 3-year-old colt trot for the fair’s fastest trotting mile. Renee Bauslaugh owns and trains the colt with her husband, Louis, performing the driving duties.

Mark Headworth led the drivers at the meet with four wins, while Jim Mulinix had four trainer wins to lead that category.

The Paulding County Fair also played host to the first leg of the new Ohio Ladies Pace Series. Six female drivers, represented by four different states, competed in the race. Maria Howard of Warren, Ind., brought Robert Shinn’s Jet Bar home first with a time of 2:05.

A big “hats-off” to Speed Superintendent Mike Molitor and Assistant Speed Superintendent David Phillips for being excellent hosts for the racing at Paulding. Many positive comments were made by horsemen, fans and race officials about improvements made this year. Plans are already being discussed about the 2016 harness racing program.

The next stop on the Ohio Fair Racing Conference schedule will be at the Madison County Fair at London. That fair will host one session of racing on Sunday (July 12) with a 12 noon post time.