by Jerry Connors, for the PA Harness Racing Commission

Washington, PA — The 2-year-olds altered two more divisional records at the Washington (PA) County Fair on Tuesday, bringing the total at Washington for the two-day session to three, most at any one track to date this season, and elevating the seasonal track record count to 14.

And appropriately enough, the two new entrants in the books were fillies, as the misses have set 11 of the 14 record clockings, including all three all-age records.

Walter “Boots” Dunn, whose hometown Meadville fair will be visited by the circuit next week, swept the 2-year-old filly trot events as owner/trainer/breeder. The recordsetter in his pair was Bella Palazzo, a daughter of Tom Ridge who scooted around the former “Arden Downs” Grand Circuit track for driver Wilbur Yoder in 2:04.4 to drop two full seconds off the old standard co-held by Meadowbranch Karin (1995) and Desired Outcome (2011). Cantab Baby also won for Dunn, with Brian Zendt in the sulky.

Also earning a line in the books was TSM Maija Star, who won in 2:02.1 to equal the 2-year-old filly pace standard of Star On Broadway (1996) and Bell On Wheels (2008). The daughter of Dragon Again, driven by Dan Rawlings, is trained by Bob Krenitsky, Jr. and owned by breeder Ted Tomson; the latter two came right back 15 minutes later to take another freshman pacing filly cut with TSM Soul Sister, driven by Todd Cummings.

Multiple wins in a class were popular on Tuesday as the team of trainer Al Manke and driver Marty Wollam accounted for both 2-year-old colt trots; Rudi’s Jet, owned by co-breeder Hans Bachmann along with Wollam, and Mickie The Mouch, a homebred owned by Anthony Minute.

The fair action now returns to Dayton for racing on Wednesday and Thursday, both days starting at noon.

2PC PA championship races taking shape

The early part of the week saw the 2-year-old colt pacers set themselves up for both the pari-mutuel Sire Stakes and Stallion Series championships by racing their fourth and final preliminary legs at The Meadows.

The top eight for the division’s Sire Stakes championship are in order Allstar Partner and McWicked (both with two wins and two seconds for 120 points), Limelight Beach, Let’s Drink On It, Sometimes Said, Seventh Secret, Tellitlikeitis, and Bristol Bay. King Of The Jungle is AE1, Naked City is AE2.

If those two do not scratch in to the championship, they will head the consolation. The next three horses tied at 50 points, and since non-declarations could elevate their status, moneyearnings were used to break the tie among Cabana Boy Hanover, Avalanche Hanover, and At Press Time, who rank in that order. At 49 points, He’s Got It got the edge over West Matters on money; Invictus Hanover had enough points for the final consolation spot.

In the Stallion Series, the first six were Here Comes William, Dontmeswiththebest, and A OK Hanover, followed by the tied triumvirate of Finley Hanover, Ivan Bob, and Leyden, who are all assured of entrance. The final two championship spots could prove interesting, as four horses tied at 70 points, with three of them — Jack Attack, So Surreal, and Somewhere In L A — the highest moneywinners in the quartet at $20,000 each. Since points and money do not separate these horses, should it come down to that, a shake of the pills would decide which two move on to the championship.