by Bill Peters

Van Wert, OH — The Van Wert County Fair at Van Wert, Ohio, held its first of two evenings of harness racing on Thursday (September 1). Twelve races were contested on a very hot summer evening.

Tatas Flash (Memphis Flash-Matata) remained undefeated after five starts with a 2:10.2 victory in the 2-year-old colt pace. Pam and Michelle Riedeman along with Bob Figgins pay the bills on Tatas Flash. Barbie Conner is the gelding’s trainer with Rodney Conner doing the driving.

Trainer-driver Tom Moore, Jr. steered Jesse’s Touch (Jailhouse Jesse-Touching Heaven) to a new track record for 2-year-old gelding trotters. Jesse’s Touch toured the Van Wert oval in 2:03 to remove Look At That’s 2:03.2 mile in 2008 from the track’s records. Ken Phillips, Art Erford, Pete Meyer, and Rick Estle are the owners of the gelding.

Sharp Returns (Look Sharp-Lela Returns) captured the 3-year-old colt pace in 2:00. Tim Hawkins picks up the expenses on Sharp Returns with Mark Gillenwater providing the training services. Mark Headworth picked up the winning catch-drive on the gelding.

Dennis Putman’s The Pragues Unreal (Prague-The Lady’s Unreal) found the winner’s circle in the 3-year-old colt trot after a mile in 2:06.2. Putman is also the gelding’s trainer with Jay Cross doing the driving.

Racing concludes Friday night with a nine-race card. The fair’s Signature Series races will highlight the program, which gets underway at 7 p.m.