Washington, PA – The Pennsylvania fair circuit commenced a very busy week with Fair Sire Stakes action on Sunday (Aug. 16) and Monday (Aug. 17) at the Washington County Fairgrounds, known as Arden Downs during its Grand Circuit heyday, in southwestern Pennsylvania, not far down the road from Hollywood Casino at The Meadows.
Rain came before the Sunday morning session for 2-year-olds, but the moisture did not dampen the standout performance on the card – a 2:04.2 victory by the Father Patrick-Wind Of The West trotting filly Western Twister. Not only was the time the fastest of the day, but it was only a fifth of a second off the divisional standard at Washington, which had been set 10 years to the day earlier by Lovebeinglucky. Western Twister is also the first fair horse to get to six Fair Circuit victories in 2026, in an undefeated campaign for driver Eric Neal, trainer Tom Loughry Jr., and owner Brocious Racing Stable Inc. (aka Lefty’s Mountain Top stable).
Winning for the fourth straight time in an unbeaten summer at the twice-arounds was the Always B Miki-Cheyenne Deo pacing colt Kurt, who also has a pari-mutuel Stallion Series to his credit. Aaron Johnston handled the driving from the second tier for owner Stephan Brochu and trainer Bill Daugherty Jr.
Daugherty has a reputation for being more a colt trotting man than on the pacing side, and he showed he hasn’t lost those talents with an “A” win with Bright Blue Chip and a “B” triumph with Lindy Mischief in races for the diamond-gaited boys. This “A” section at Washington also saw another Stallion Series winner triumph, the Bar Hopping-Finnery Hanover gelding SA’s Tiki Bar (driver Shawn Johnston and trainer Gary Johnston, the latter co-owner with Darren Zielinski), who also has a third and a fourth in the pari-mutuel Sire Stakes as well.
Monday saw the 3-year-olds take the track over the historical oval, and though a filly trotter led the way the day before, it was the “glamour division,” the 3-year-old male pacers, who grabbed the headlines here, led by a terrific 1:57.4 mile by the Stay Hungry gelding Thai Hanover. That clocking was almost three seconds faster than any other mile recorded at Washington 2026, and only two ticks of the clock behind Washington’s all-age track record of 1:57.2 delivered 16 years to the day ago by Straight Character. Thai Hanover, who had won in 1:51 at The Meadows two starts back, was driven by Eric Neal for trainer Mitchell York, co-owner with Erin York.
This group’s other “A” section saw the Captain Crunch gelding Commander Crunch, who won twice in 1:55.2 at Bedford, needing only 2:00.3 to succeed here.
The Always B Miki filly Dancin Sweet Heart, the 2025 Fair Championship winner, came through with a 2:01.4 victory for trainer Abigail Wright and owner Grace Wright, allowing driver Shawn Johnston to be perfect with 3-year-old pacing fillies, as he also guided both the other “A” winner and the “B” success story.
The Steve Schoeffel barn, on a very good roll in the first half of the year, had wins in both “A” sections of the sophomore male trot, with Family Guy (in 2:04.1, just edging out the remarkable time posted by the filly Western Twister for the quickest diagonally-gaited mile of the meet) and Clark (2:04.3).
Aaron Johnston was behind one of the “A” winners among Monday’s trotting fillies, Patricks Belle (2:04.4), while Eric Neal was behind the other, Hot For Her (2:05.3).
There was a three-way tie for Washington’s leading driver status: Eric Neal had five sulky successes, joint-top with brothers Aaron (who had four Monday) and Shawn Johnston (who had four Sunday). On the trainers’ side, Tom Loughry Jr. edged out Bill Daugherty Jr., 4-3.
The next stop on the Pennsylvania Fair Circuit is at Dayton Fair, which races at 11 a.m. (EDT) Wednesday (Aug. 19) and noon on Thursday (Aug. 20), and for which entries have been already drawn.
There is also action this Friday and Saturday at 1 p.m. (EDT) at the Crawford County Fair in Meadville, the only overlap on the PA Fair Circuit this year (PA rules dictate that a colt or a filly can race at the fairs only once every three days). Entries for Meadville will be drawn Wednesday (Aug. 19).