from the PA Fair Harness Horsemen’s Association

Bedford, PA — If you want to see 3-year-old trotters break track records on the Pennsylvania Fair circuit in 2016, you better be in your seat before the first race.

Ryan Zidek photo

OMG Hanover won in a track record time of 2:00.2.

For the third straight time that sophomore trotters took to the track for their card of Pennsylvania Fair Sire Stakes action, a divisional track record was set. That happened Monday at the start of a two-card session at the Bedford County Fair as the gelding OMG Hanover, in rein to Todd Schadel, went the fastest mile ever posted by a trotter at the southwest Pennsylvania twicearound, 2:00.2.

A son of Cantab Hall, OMG Hanover defeated Major Matter — who had equaled the all-age mark at Wattsburg, 2:04, also in the first race — while lowering the old all-age track trot mark of 2:00.4, set by Faust in this division in 2014. OMG Hanover, who took a mark of 1:57.3 at Pocono at the end of June, is also trained by Schadel, and co-owned by him and his wife Christine.

With the temperature officially noted at 95 degrees at first post on the twilight card, it seemed likely after the opening race that more records could fall through the next few hours, and in fact the other three divisions (via sex and gait distinctions) of sophomores either broke or equaled the Bedford sectional standards.

The next record came about 15 minutes after the first one, as Roger Hammer altered a line in the record book while steering the Great George Two filly A Little Laid Back to victory in 2:01.1, sending Bessie’s 2:02.3 mile of 2014 to the rear. Hammer also owns and trains A Little Laid back, who in 2015 set three divisional track records along the Pennsylvania fair circuit.

The first division of the 3-year-old colt pace saw the Art Official colt Dragon Strikes pace a second giant mile within eight days, following up on his 1:58 win at Dayton with a 1:57.2 victory here. Robert Key owns and Mike Gillock trains Dragon Strikes, who was driven by Todd Schadel.

Schadel also got his name in the local record books for a third time when his Yankee Cruiser pacing filly Keystone Illianna, whom he also trains, scorched the Bedford surface in 1:58.1, equaling the 3-year-old pacing filly track standard of Keystone Luscious, who set her mark in 1990, the last year there was racing at Bedford before a 23-year hiatus, with the track featuring a third year of the sulky sport’s renaissance in 2016.

In fact, the very roots of the “Keystone” tradition ring like a bell through Keystone Illianna, as Schadel is the distaff’s co-owner and co-breeder with the Estate of George Hempt Trust, George being the son of Hall of Famer Max C. Hempt and the father of current Hall of Fame vice president/treasurer Max J. Hempt.

In all, there were five sub-2:00 miles on the Monday Bedford card, as many as had been seen combined on the ten previous cards of PA fair racing 2016; besides Dragon Strikes and Keystone Illianna, pacing colt Billy’s Falcon (1:58.4) and fillies Marvalous Jet (1:58.3) and Nickapher (1:59.3) also recorded magic miles.

The 2-year-olds will get their chance to strut their stuff Tuesday when the first race will head to the gate at 10:30 a.m.