from the PA Fair Harness Horsemen’s Association

Washington, PA — The 2-year-olds produced most of the notable achievements during the two-day Washington County Fair racing program at the Arden Downs racetrack in southwestern Pennsylvania, with one trotting filly setting a divisional track mark, only to see it eclipsed within a quarter hour, and a pacing 2-year-old producing the fastest mile of the meet.

Since no recorded history will ever carry the name No Excuses except for this story, we’ll give her a moment in the spotlight first, as she took her first PA fair start in 2:04.3, a clocking a fifth lower than the previous mark posted by Bella Palazzo in 2013. The daughter of Muscle Massive carries the red-hot backing of trainer/driver Todd Schadel, who also co-owns the filly with his wife Christine.

Then in the very next dash on the card, a filly with familiarity in setting track records did it again, as the Lucky Chucky filly Lovebeinglucky wiped out that newly-minted mark by covering the mile distance in 2:04.1 for trainer/driver Rick Beinhauer, having himself a fine summer as well, and also the co-owner of the fast miss with his wife Regina.

Lovebeinglucky has made four starts at the fairs, with three wins and a second, and with each victory she has a new track mark — at Butler, Dayton and now Washington. The three record miles ties her at the top of the circuit’s 2016 performances in this category with freshman trotting colt Toolbox Tuesday and sophomore pacing colt Star Of Terror, as among them they have nine of the 27 track records that have already been altered during the speedy campaign.

Also familiar with the track record tables is the Real Artist pacing gelding Artists Ruffles, who came to Washington having rewritten his divisional standard at Honesdale, and earlier posted a 1:57 mile at Bedford, a clocking that still stands as both the fastest mile of 2016 at the Keystone twice-arounds, and also the co-fastest mile ever by 2-year-old at a PA fair.

On Tuesday Artist’s Ruffles won in “only” 2:00.3, with a last quarter of :27.4, for trainer/driver Roger Hammer, co-owner with Vicki Fair.

The date of Aug. 16 is one that will be long remembered by 19-year-old horseman Jeremy Indof, as he performed the equivalent of hitting a home run in his first at bat as he won in the first purse race he ever drove in, guiding his own I’m Sooo Slick to victory in a division of the Sire Stakes 2-year-old filly pace.

Another driver scored a first on the Tuesday card as the well-known Mike Wilder posted his first PA fair victory in just over seven years with a win behind Vegas Chuck, a gelded son of Lucky Chucky who won in 2:05.2 for trainer Bob Rougeaux III.

The backstory behind Vegas Chuck’s ownership is interesting. Brian Gillespie is the grandson of the late Edward Ryan, a 1993 Hall of Fame inductee and former owner of The Meadows, and he sought to purchase an interest in a 2-year-old trotter who would be racing in the Grand Circuit stake the night before the Adios, which is named to honor his grandfather. Gillespie and Rougeaux, who controls the interests of the Brocious Racing Stable Inc. of the late and popular Harold “Lefty” Brocious, made a deal for a share of another trotter Bob trains, Box Of Luck, who proceeded to go out and take his division of the Ed Ryan Memorial. Gillespie then went back and bought a piece of Vegas Chuck from Rougeaux and Box Of Luck’s connections and Tuesday that horse won his first start for the new partnership.

On Monday, a day devoted to 3-year-olds, the fastest mile of the day, 2:02, was turned in by a trotter named Shady McCoy, who put it all together for trainer David Wade, defeating the two horses who have posted all-age records at the fairs this year: Major Matter (at Wattsburg) and OMG Hanover (at Bedford). The two-three finishers, by the way, were guided by Rick Beinhauer and Todd Schadel.

On the sophomore pacing side, the Art Official colt Dragon Strikes only had to go in 2:05.3–:29.1 to win, but the effort keeps him an undefeated in six fair starts, and has fans looking forward to a matchup between him and Star Of Terror.

Driver Brady Brown and trainer Mike Gillock are the team behind Dragon Strikes, and this victory was one of four times they hooked up to win at Washington, giving Gillock the meet conditioner’s title and Brown, who added one other victory, the top sulky sitter honors.

PA fair action now swings about 80 miles northeast to Dayton in Armstrong County, where 3-year-olds will face the starter on Wednesday and 2-year-olds on Thursday, both cards set to begin at high noon.