from the PHHA/Pocono

Clearfield, PA — Simeon, a sophomore altered son of Andover Hall trained and driven by David Wade of S J’s Photo fame, equaled the all-age track trotting record at the Clearfield County Fair on Tuesday (Aug. 4), winning his division of the PA Fair Sire Stakes in 2:02 to match the previous standard set by Cottonwood Sam in 2003.

Simeon burst away from the gate “and improved his position from there,” winning by 23-1/4 lengths in the record time, which was also recorded by Cottonwood Sam in the same age/gait/sex division. The gelding is co-owned by David Wade, Jerry Brittingham, William Peel III and Delores Wade.

Many fans thought that if the trot record were to be broken or jeopardized, the challenge would most likely come from Wimborne Hanover, last year’s 2-year-old Fair championship winner and undefeated in six starts on the 2015 circuit. But Wimborne Hanover set the pace under constant pressure, and in the end finished third to the Lear Jetta gelding Bucks Jetta, who tallied in 2:03.2 for driver Wayne Long and owner/trainer Ron Lineweaver.

Ironically, a daughter of S J’s Photo, PJ’s Photo, owns the local record for the 3-year-old trotting fillies at 2:03.2, and that mark still stood at the end of the day. Fastest of the filly trot winners was Scarlett’s Legacy, a daughter of SJ’s Caviar who owns the circuit’s divisional seasonal record, 2:01.2 at Gratz, and who won here in 2:04.2 by open lengths for trainer/driver Todd Schadel and owner Max J. Hempt, grandson of the Hall of Famer and vice president/treasurer of the Harness Racing Museum/Hall of Fame.

Max C. Hempt’s longtime main trainer/driver, the redoubtable Roger Hammer, won three more times on Tuesday, one of them unusually for him a catch-drive, and he now has seven sulky successes and six training triumphs to lead those categories going into Wednesday’s final card of the meet, which features 3-year-old pacers and begins at 12 noon.