by Jerry Connors, for the PA Harness Racing Commission

Clearfield, PA — Pennsylvania Fair Sire Stakes racing concluded a four-day stand at the Clearfield (PA) Fair Thursday (Aug. 1), featuring 3-year-old pacers and the two fastest miles of the week were posted on this card — both by Somebeachsomewhere fillies and one and two races after the track rating was changed from “slow” to “good” after overnight rains were quickly absorbed by the track.

It would not have been surprising to think that She’salilfireball would be involved in a speed show, as she had been a terror in earlier fair starts. However, upon her return to the twicearound circuit, she got the rudest of receptions — being hung out to the quarter in :28 (Roger Hammer still concedes nothing on the racetrack) and then rolling along to middle splits of :59 and 1:29.2.

She’salilfireball maintained her lead to headstretch, but Naked At The Beach and In A Better Place were well-positioned for stretch charges, and at the wire it was Naked At The Beach raising her own fair scorecard to 5-3-2-0 with a handy victory in 2:01.2, with In A Better Place also getting by She’salilfireball late. Dan Walski conditions the Brady Brown-driven winner for owner Howard Millhine.

As hard-fought as that 2:01.2 triumph was, the other was a 180-degree turnaround in simplicity for Keystone Wanda. Todd Schadel, also trainer and co-owner with wife Christine, set sail from the rail and came home more than 13 lengths clear in a :59.3 back half to keep her record unblemished in two fair starts.

Have More Wine became the first five-time fair winner in her division, and solidified her lofty view atop the 3-year-old pacing filly point standings, with a 2:02.1-:29.3 engine score in the last race before the track condition change. The Western Terror miss posted her third straight victory for trainer (two-time winner)/driver (three-time winner) Steve Schoeffel and owners Virginia and Kathy Schoeffel (both two-time winners), James Reuther and James Nelson.

And as if to illustrate the old saw that “time don’t mean nothin’ unless you’re in prison,” Schoeffel throttled down Sweet Talia to a 1:38 three-quarter clocking in the last filly split, then sprinted home in :29.3 to win a cut that went more than five seconds slower than the other three.

The “’brothers Dinger,” Dinger One and Dinger Two, were among the pacing colts, with Dinger One racing in division one, hitting the wire first after a sharp back-half move, and posting the No. 1 time of the day for the boys, 2:02.2. The altered son of Art’s Card Trick was guided by James Dodson for owner/trainer Ron Lineweaver.

This pairing came back in division two with Dinger Two and acquitted themselves very well, but had to settle for finish position two after a battle most of the last half with Captain Kubota, who proved thre-quarters of a length the best on this day in 2:03.2. Captain Kubota, a McArdle gelding, completed a double for driver Brady Brown and trainer Mike Gillock. In this race Jungle Of Terror, bidding for his sixth fair victory, made a rare misstep just after the half, taking himself out of contention.

The 2-year-old Fair Sire Stakes champion Mein Schatz showed himself a force still to be very much reckoned with by making up 3-1/2 lengths in the lane to win in 2:02.4 for owner James Biego and trainer/driver Aaron Johnston while completing a siring double for Real Desire. Second in this race was Skylite’s Finale; he and Jungle Of Terror are tied at the top of this section’s point standings after eight stops.

The other colt cut saw the co-owners of 2005 Hambletonian winner Vivid Photo locked in combat in the lane, with owner/trainer/driver Schadel able to rally the Real Artist gelding Plenty Of Spunk from the pocket to catch pacesetter Camturo Beach (Hammer) in 2:03.1.

Finishing Lines: The Pennsylvania Fair Circuit now splits this coming week, with action 358 miles apart. Honesdale (Wayne Co.), in the northeast part of the state, is trying a novel approach by scheduling their “two-day Sire Stakes event” and their regular fair racing in a five-day span, which means racing on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. In the southwest sector, Waynesburg (Greene County) will go postward on Thursday and Friday; please note that, contrary to some very early reports, the Waynesburg action will commence at 10 a.m. each day.