from the Iowa Harness Horsemen’s Association

What Cheer, IA — Sunday (July 10) saw the conclusion of three days of harness racing at the Keokuk County Fair in What Cheer, Iowa.

The Sunday racing program was threatened with cancellation when a rain storm soaked the track with an inch and half of water an hour before the 12:30 p.m. post time. But the track crew had packed the lime track and the rain only made the surface a fast track for the delayed 3:30 p.m. post time.

The 10-race program featured four races of Iowa Registered 3-year-old colts and fillies. The two heats of fillies went in 2:00.1 (Dag inmy Stockings; owners Duane and Connie Roland) and 1:59.2 (Cruzin Coco; owners Ron Emerson/Mark Holtan). The two colt races went in 2:00.4 (Happy Andyversary; owner Set the Pace Racing, LLC) and 1:58.1 (Pickwick; owners Duane and Connie Roland).

The 3-year-old pace at What Cheer is raced as a memorial to Jim Coulter, who served as a United States Trotting Association District 4 director from Iowa for 40 years.

As highlight of the race meet, a new track record of 1:56.3 was set by Roland N Rock, a 4-year-old gelding sired by Rocknroll Hanover, owned and trained by Duane and Connie Roland of Grinnell, Iowa and driven by Duane’s brother, Royal Roland, the USTA director for District 4A. Duane is the usual driver of the horses he trains, but has injured his right hand and won’t be driving for the balance of the year.

Harness racing continues in Iowa with a program at What Cheer on Saturday (July 16) with a 12:30 p.m. post.

See our website, www.iowaharnessracing.com for upcoming dates and locations.