by Jeff Zidek, for the Pennsylvania Harness Racing Commission
Racing on the PA Fair Circuit wrapped up at both Honesdale in Wayne County and Waynesburg in Greene County on Thursday (August 11).
At Honesdale, one Sire Stake was contested, an $11,638 2-year-old filly trot. Trainer Syl King had five of the seven entrants in the race…but managed to pick up only 50% of the purse. King’s entrants took four of the five purse checks, but the top prize was won by Songonbroadway, trained by Joe Offutt for owner Anne McDonald LLC. Timmy Offutt drove the winner, a daughter of Broadway Hall, to a 2:12.4 win.
Quaker Stakes, for PA-owned or PA-bred horses, comprised the rest of the day. The Offutts picked up another victory, this one in a walkover, as Mycology went a 2:22.4 mile in the $2,413 Quaker 2YO Trot. Genevieve Louk owns the Tejano colt.
In the lone $2,463 division of the Quaker 2-year-old pace, DVC Itsanattitude was a winner for driver David Brickell, who also owns and trains the Magical Mike filly. The winning time was 2:08.
In the first of two Quaker 3-year-old trotting stakes, Foxy Trotter picked up her first career win in 2:12. Rae Lynn Bergman owns the Cantab Hall filly, while Steven Gastelu trains and was in the bike.
In the second division, RT Girls Lie Too, trained and reined by Bobby Rougeaux, won in 2:07.3. The Brocious Racing Stable owns the Ebanks filly.
In a Quaker 3YO Pace, DVC Hopnattitude, the full brother to earlier winner DVC Itsanattitude, kept up with his younger brother by winning in 2:04.1. Brickell owns and trains, while Alexander Amos was in the bike.
The final event, the second group of sophomore Quaker pacers, was led to the wire by Acardi, as trainer Joe Offutt and driver Timmy Offutt won for the third time on the day. Acardi, by McArdle, paced in 2:06.
Meanwhile, at Waynesburg, 14 stake events were held for 3-year-olds. Two $5,750 divisions of the PA Sire Stake Colt Trot led off the day, and driver Bill Daugherty won both races. First up was Georgian Diablo, owned and trained by Jim Daugherty. The Great George Two gelding won in 2:06.3. Cadence Hall, trained by Bill Daugherty for Susan Daugherty, won the second split in 2:05.3. Cadence Hall is a son of Chip Chip Hooray.
In the first of three PASS filly trots, My Good Side went wire-to-wire in 2:05.1 for trainer/driver Steve Schoeffel. Tom Barrett owns the Broadway Hall filly. Vertical Takeoff, trained and reined by Marty Wollam, captured the second split in an identical time. Another daughter of Broadway Hall, Vertical Takeoff is owned by the Steiner Stock Farm and G&B Racing.
Schoeffel returned to the winners circle in the final division, as Mynah Hanover scored in 2:04.2. The Cantab Hall filly is owned by Stephen Lander, Virginia and Kathy Schoeffel.
In the first division of the sophomore colt pace, Ya Gotta Go, owned and trained by Rich Gillock, won in 2:02 on the front-end. JC Miller, Jr., was in the bike behind the Metropolitan gelding.
The second division was also won by a Miller/Gillock combination, but this time the owner/trainer was Mike Gillock. Craig Michael, a gelding by No Pan Intended, paced in 2:04.2.
The final colt pacing division was won by Evening Shadows, catch-driven by Jordon Miller. The Blissfull Hall gelding went wire-to-wire in 2:02.1 for owner/trainer Charles Von See.
Three PASS events for filly pacers were up next, with victories earned by Caramel Chinno (Allamerican Native), Wishfullartist (Real Artist) and Another Bliss (Blissfull Hall). Caramel Chinno, owned, trained and driven by Roger Hammer, picked up her second win in three days on the circuit. On Tuesday, she won a PASS event across the state in Honesdale. Two days and well over 300 miles on the highway later, she paced the day’s fastest mile at Waynesburg, winning in 2:01. Another Hammer horse, Wishfullartist, paced in 2:06.4 to win the second split. Another Bliss, trained by Lisa Beinhauer for owners Jeffrey Demiere and Jody Emrich, paced her mile in 2:04.2 with Steve Schoeffel at the lines.
The day ended with Quaker Stakes, and Girls’ Getaway (Donerail) won the 3-year-old Quaker Trot in 2:06.4. Schoeffel drove the winner for owner Bill Altmeyer and trainer Terry Altmeyer.
Two divisions of the Quaker Pace ended the day, and What A Jolt (Village Jolt) and Bermuda Rough (Allamerican Ingot) were winners. What A Jolt, owned and trained by Chris Oluvic, won in 2:05.1 for his first win of the season for driver Aaron Johnston. Bermuda Rough, owned and trained by Jason Shaw, paced in 2:06.3 to win his division for driver Chris Shaw.
For video highlights from Waynesburg, visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJNDVTTExcY.
Action on the PA Fair Circuit next moves to Washington County’s Arden Downs, just a few miles from The Meadows, for two days of action beginning Monday at 10AM.