from the PA Fair Harness Horsemen’s Association

Indiana, PA — Vorst rewrote the track record for 3-year-old pacing fillies at the Indiana County Fair, and came within three-fifths of a second of the all-time Indiana standard, when she won in Pennsylvania Fair Sire Stakes action in this west-central Pennsylvania city in 1:59.1, the highlight of a two-day meet which ended Tuesday (Aug. 30).

Seth Dowling photo

Vorst rewrote the track record for 3-year-old pacing fillies at the Indiana County Fair.

Vorst missed Straight Character’s sophomore colt and all-age track mark by just the three ticks in only her second fair appearance of the year (the other was a second to the streaking Unbeamlieveable at Meadville last week). Trainer Dirk Simpson, well-known for his exploits at Illinois fairs, appears to have gotten his first-ever win at a Pennsylvania fair via this victory with the daughter of Four Starzzz Shark, owned by James Springer.

A second alteration in the Indiana annals was made when RT Sun Poco’s 2:03.3 mark of 2009 was equaled by A Little Laid Back and trainer-driver-owner Roger Hammer. The daughter of Great George Two has now written her name in the record books this season at Bedford and Clearfield in addition to Indiana.

Todd Schadel, who had driving honors for the day (four wins) and the meet (six) and also both sets of training titles (three and four, respectively), swept the sophomore colt trots with Keystone Blade and OMG Hanover.

On Monday, Camera Lady again posed for her close-up when she won in 2:05.2 — her 13th win in her three months of racing, only two off the North American 2016 lead for horses of any age, and well ahead of all other categories of freshmen. The daughter of Dragon Again has now won all 12 of her starts at the Keystone fairs for trainer/driver Dave Brickell, co-owner with Mitchell York.

The fastest freshman on Monday also sits in the national top five for 2-year-old victories with eight, as Artists Ruffles ran his fair record to 8-7-1-0 with a 2:03.3 score for trainer/driver Roger Hammer, co-owner with Vicki Fair, with the Real Artist gelding triumphing over Cruiserwillwin, who inflicted his only fair defeat upon him.

As Indiana concluded its two-day fair meet Tuesday, the first card of a two-day meet was being held 130 miles to the northwest in Wattsburg at the Erie County Fairgrounds, where Lovebeinglucky, guided by Rick Beinhauer, became the first horse to post divisional track records at four Pennsylvania fairs this summer, reducing the local standard for 2-year-old trotting fillies to 2:05.4, erasing the previous mark of 2:07.2 established last year by A Little Laid Back, who would make another appearance in a different record book three hours later.