by Jerry Connors, for the PFHHA

Harrisburg, PA — Horsemen racing at the Wayne County Fair in Honesdale, Pa., should be aware that the post time for this coming Wednesday’s card is 2 p.m., not 4 p.m. as was printed in the Pennsylvania Harness Fair Guide.

The entry box, under Race Secretary Jeff Firmstone, will be open on Sunday from 9-11 a.m. and on Monday, starting at 7:30 a.m. and the box closing at 10 a.m. Tuesday’s card (also starting at 2 p.m.) will feature 3-year-olds, Wednesday’s 2-year-olds, and the older fast-class pacers will make their first appearance of the PA fair season, with an FFA trot on Tuesday and an FFA pace on Wednesday.

There will also be action Thursday and Friday at the Greene County Fair in Waynesburg, Pa., 358 miles away as the crow flies. The race office, under Audre King, will be open from 8 a.m. to 12 noon on Tuesday, with freshmen going Thursday and sophomores Friday.

At this rough midway point of the PA fair year, the Hammer Stable, as it frequently is, is atop the trainers’ standings with 38 victories. But with Hammer off driving stakes horses at pari-mutuel tracks, the contest in the drivers’ community is unusually tight. Hammer has 30, but Dave Brickell is right there with 25, Chris Shaw 22 and Steve Schoeffel 20.

Fastest trotting mile of the season is the 1:59.4 of Ibanez for the Neal Stable at Gratz. Gratz was also the scene of the circuit’s fastest pacing mile to date, a 1:58 mile by Nucular Enemy, with Todd Schadel sulkysitting for the Hammer Stable. Five divisional track records have been set or equaled so far, including Ibanez tying the 14-year-old Dayton all-age trotting mark of K T Junior at 2:02.2.