by Publicity Office, Pennsylvania Fair Harness Horsemen’s Association

Dayton, PA — Venier Hanover, a 2-year-old gelding by Well Said-Valmctorian, certainly put on a show on the first day of the 2017 Pennsylvania fair racing season which was Saturday (June 17). In the very first race of the year, the precocious baby toured the half-mile track at the Dayton Fairgrounds in 1:58, missing the all-age track record of J T Arturo by a single tick in only his second career start. The sensational clocking also shattered the 2:00.2 divisional Dayton standard set by Marvalous Artist last year.

Ryan Zidek photo

Venier Hanover and Dave Brickell set a new track standard of 1:58 at the Dayton Fair on Saturday.

Early fractions in the magical mile were :31, 1:00.2, and 1:30, with Venier Hanover and trainer/driver Dave Brickell tacking on a :28 last quarter to come up just shy of the all-age record, whose only other purse start resulted in a 1:54 victory at The Meadows.

Brickell and co-owner Mitchell Young are certainly no strangers to freshman stardom, as they were the team behind last season’s pacing filly Camera Lady, who led all North American 2-year-olds in victories with 15.

Venier Hanover’s pedigree predicts his ability as his third dam is Oxford Mary Ann, the dam of Cambest, whose 1:46.1 record stood as harness racing’s fastest mile for 23 years before being eclipsed by Always B Miki last season.