from the PA Fair Harness Horsemen’s Association

Honesdale, PA — The “King of the Pennsylvania Fairs,” Roger Hammer, rewrote both track records for 2-year-old colts on Thursday (Aug. 11) at the Wayne County Fairgrounds in this northeast Pennsylvania town, bringing the number of local standards set during the two-day fair meet to four, and six overall including the two-day Sire Stakes meet held here on Sunday and Monday.

Both the record setters were not unfamiliar with 2016 altering of lines in the annals. In fact, this was the third visit to the archives for the Broadway Hall trotting gelding Toolbox Tuesday, after lowering Butler’s divisional standard and then equaling Bedford’s; here he changed the mark at Honesdale to 2:04.2, reducing the former mark of KT Dixie Player, set in 2008, by four-fifths of a second.

The Real Artist pacing gelding Artists Ruffles equaled two records when he won in 1:57 at Bedford, equaling the fastest mile ever on the PA fair circuit by a 2-year-old, and tying the standard at that oval. In addition, it’s the fastest time at the Keystone fairs this year, faster than Star Of Terror or any of the 3-year-olds has gone. At Honesdale he put in a mile of 2:01.3, with a :28.1 last quarter, to reduce the mark set by DVC Givemattitude in 2009 by a tick.

Both record setters are owned by trainer/driver Hammer in partnership with Vicki Fair, and both now have four victories at the fairs in 2016.

The Dragon Again filly Camera Lady has twice that many victories at PA fairs already, with her 2:04.2 victory Thursday keeping her undefeated on the local twice-around circuit. What’s more, when throwing in a pari-mutuel win, Camera Lady has nine triumphs, making her the winningest 2-year-old filly in North America on either gait for trainer/driver Dave Brickell, co-owner with Mitchell York.

Camera Lady has set no track records — the opposition has found it hard to stay near enough to her to push her — but the two records on Thursday ran the total alterations in the Honesdale record book to four for the fair meet, and six for the total four days of racing. In fact, the mark for 3-year-old pacing fillies took a knock twice: Unbeamlieveable lowered it to 2:00.4 last Sunday, and then on Wednesday Singalongwithbing equaled that clocking to co-share that spot with her stablemate.

During the fair meet, top driving honors went to Todd Schadel with six sulky successes; on the trainer’s side, Schadel and Jason Shaw shared the crown at four. Totaling the four days of Honesdale racing, the story remained the same: Schadel led the drivers with nine wins, while on the training side both he and Shaw each sent out seven winners.

The next fair harness racing in Pennsylvania will take place at Hughesville on Saturday and Sunday. Those cards mark the start of six straight days of Keystone fair sulky sport, as the trotters and pacers will be at Washington (Arden Downs) Monday and Tuesday, and then at Dayton Wednesday and Thursday.