from Ottawa County Fair Communications

Holland, MI — A card of 13 races took place on Tuesday (July 23) at the Ottawa County Fair in Holland, Mich.

“When the lights went out, all we could say was wow, a fan and horsemen friendly event in Holland, Mich., took place and from every indication was a stunning success,” said Fair president Jeff Myaard.

Race director Dale Zahn pulled out all the stops to see to it that everybody went home happy and totally entertained on Tuesday night.

“Certainly the horses and drivers are the stars of the racing show but our program was a production; it was about entertainment from start to finish,” according to Zahn, who was asked to take the helm of the racing program and its premier event, the Wolverine Futurity earlier this year. “Honestly, I can’t recall a time so many smiling faces and satisfied fans and horsemen were all together in the same place at the same time. We’re just elated at the result of our efforts.”

This year’s presentation of the Futurity had one of the largest crowds in recent memory and despite the weather turning unseasonably cool as the sun went down, most stayed until the end.

The first 500 paid admissions received free sun visors courtesy of the Fair Board and during the evening more than 120 t-shirts were tossed into grandstand. The Michigan Harness Horsemen’s Association official mascot, “Happy Horse,” was a true crowd pleaser, particularly to the kids.

In an ironic twist, the Wolverine Futurity welcomed to the stage and winner’s circle the Michigan State University Spartan. Professor Brian Nielsen intended to parade with flags in front of the grandstand, but 10 minutes prior to the appearance in a specially configured chariot hitched to a retired Standardbred, a weld broke and the parade laps could not take place. However, the Spartan participated in the flag raising ceremony with boy scouts and Happy Horse.

Guest announcer James Witherite (Harrah’s Philadelphia) was a great crowd pleaser and has been asked to return by countless fans impressed with his crisp race calls and entertaining bugling.

Longtime Fair Board president and race director Earl Welling was honored with a special race on the program as members of his family and Fair Board officials joined in a winner’s circle presentation that included presenting Earl with his own set of wooden shoes and his wife was given a dozen red roses. Witherite played the familiar tune “Thanks for the Memory” as the entourage was together in the winner’s circle.

Prior to racing, horsemen participated in a chicken picnic dinner as they talked about what they looked forward to on the racetrack during the evening as they raced for more than $111,000 in purse money. There were nine Futurity races and four overnights on the card. In addition, a novelty bouncy bounce race took place in which stables and grooms were represented and in the spotlight.

Full results can be found at the USTA website but among the highlights was Hemlock Tough Guy winning the fastest division of the 3-year-old colt trot in 2:05.1 for driver/trainer Tim Driver and owners John and Mary Jo Stapleton. Winwood Scout and Skip DeMull romped by eight lengths in the first division of that trot.

Lady Windsor, handled by Darrell Wright, scored off a perfect trip in the 2-year-old filly trot and the 2-year-old colt trot went to Scrappy Alex for Carl Putnam, who overcame a break at the start to win by 10 open lengths. Brad Kramer went wire-to-wire in the 2-year-old filly pace behind Kayla Grace and Kelly Goodwin steered his own Beastly to a front stepping score in the 2-year-old colt pace.

The 3-year-old filly trot was won by Kendall Marie and driver Peter Otten. The Keith Hough trainee went to the front from the one post and never looked back. In the 3-year-old filly pace, Jeff Sweeney roared from off the pace to win by 1-1/2 lengths after a blistering speed duel involving three horses took its toll and the anticipated matchup between top fillies Super Soph and Don’t Stare set things up perfectly for Sweeney and Admiral Abbie. In the final Futurity of the night, the Mike Micallef driven and trained 3-year-old That’ll Be The Rei, fresh off a track record at Hastings, easily scored in the colt pace for owner Dan Courtemanche.

Rounding out the program were four overnight races and they were won by Midnight Revenue, trained and driven by 75-year-old Al Tomlinson; Plain Easy in rein to Larry Lee Smith; Highly Elegant, also driven by Smith; and the finale was won by Mile Saver for driver Peter Otten.

For more than 70 years the Wolverine Futurity has provided top notch racing excitement and if Tuesday night’s entertainment filled program is any indication, the future looks quite bright.