from the Pennsylvania Fair Harness Horsemen’s Association’s publicity office

Hughesville, PA — The all-age track records on both gaits were rewritten at the Lycoming County Fairgrounds in this central Pennsylvania city Wednesday afternoon (July 22) during Pennsylvania Fair Sire Stakes action for 3-year-olds, with pacer Royaltyhasarrived (1:58.1) and trotter Aloysius (2:01) erasing the previous standards with powerful victories.

Ryan Zidek photo

Royaltyhasarrived lowered the track record for pacers to 1:58.1.

Royaltyhasarrived’s 1:58.1 mile, erasing the previous mark of 1:58.3 set by Keystone Robot (Todd Schadel) 17 years minus two days ago, was expected by many, as the Western Terror gelding now has a 5-4-1-0 record at the fairs this year, had paced in 1:59.1 at Gratz earlier in the month, and has a 1:52.2f lifetime mark.

The 1:58.1 clocking equals the fastest mile of the year at the Pennsylvania twicearounds (first recorded by the filly Keystone I Wish, who won in 2:01 later in the day), and makes Royaltyhasarrived the only PA fair horse both with two 2:00 miles and two divisional track records (he lowered the standard at Butler to 2:00.4 earlier). Brady Brown, having a fine start to his fair campaign, was again in the sulky for trainer Steve Schoeffel and owners Virginia and Kathy Schoeffel and Michael Munn.

As much as Royaltyhasarrived had, well, royal credentials coming to Hughesville, Aloysius’ form was that of a very common commoner. The Muscle Massive gelding was unraced at two and had made eight prior starts as a sophomore, in none of which he had hit the board — seven in pari-mutuel maiden races, where he never went off at less than 11-1, and a breaking fifth at Gratz.

But trainer Syl King Jr. and driver Brandon Givens got the maximum out of Aloysius, lowering the all-time Hughesville trot standard of 2:01.4 set by the 2-year-old Light Headed nine years and three days previously. Aloysius’ big win for owners Joseph Benedetti Jr. and Ronald Silletto was the fastest trot of the young PA fair season, and the clocking also smashed the local mark for 3-year-old trotting males of 2:02.4, first set by Bob And Bobby in 2012 and equaled a year later by Prince Lauxmont.

Other highlights of the day included a 2:00 mile by Marshmallow Pulse in another division of the 3-year-old colt pace, part of a four-timer for the brother team of driver Chris and trainer Jason Shaw (Jason’s 3-year-old son Mason owning three of them); and a 2:02.4 win by trotting filly HS Pearl for trainer/driver Wayne Long, just a fifth shy of Monroe County’s local divisional standard.

The 2-year-olds will take to the Hughesville track on Thursday, with the first race scheduled for high noon.