Freshman faster than the sophomores at Meadville

MEADVILLE PA – The Pennsylvania fair circuit returned to the Crawford County Fairgrounds in this northwest Pennsylvania city on Saturday and Sunday, and perhaps it was the warmer weather and better surface (the track was rated “+2” the first day and “+3” the second), but the harness racing two-year-olds that opened the weekend generated the quickest miles on both their gaits for the two-day stand.

The Stay Hungry – Pueblo Blue Chip gelding Quill Gordon became the first two-year-old to tally in five “A” starts, and his Meadville win in 2:02.2 proved the be the quickest mile of the entire meet. A winner of four straight fair races now, Quill Gordon was driven by Eric Neal for trainer Mitchell York, co-owner with Erin York.

The baby trotters also produced the fastest race on their gait, and it came from a filly – the Bar Hopping – Lady Ping miss Drinks On Olivia, who won for the partnership of driver Wayne Long and trainer Joyce Lineweaver in 2:05.3 for her first “A” victory. The clocking beat out by a fifth that of another Bar Hopping progeny, the gelding Harlem Hanover (dam Hallance), who made his fair debut a successful one after winning in the pari-mutuel Stallion Series. Todd Schadel drove for trainer Bill Daugherty Jr. and owners Susan Daugherty and Perry Wilson.

Though not benefiting from optimal racing conditions, there were three-year-old performances of note, with the fillies having a good day: both “A” pacing filly winners went faster than the “A” single male heat, and on the trot an “A” male was tied by a “B” filly.

The sophomore “A” pacing filly winners were the Heston Blue Chip distaff Don’t Touch My T, now a three-time winner in the top level, in 2:03; behind her by two ticks of the clock was the Tall Dark Stranger filly Skepticism, who now has won four straight races in the “A”s, including two miles in 2:00 or less.

Going to the diagonally-gaited side, the magic number was 2:08, and it was achieved by both the Cantab Hall gelding Cantab Zette, now a winner in his last four “A” starts, and the “B” Fordham Road filly RT Watch Me, a three-time winner on the lower level and possibly coming up to racing in the higher local company.

Eric Neal and Todd Schadel both had five sulky successes during the meet to share honors in that category; Schadel sent out four winners, giving him that crown by one over Aaron Johnston and Joyce Lineweaver.

 After eight cards in eight days, the Pennsylvania fair circuit gets a “major break” of three entire days until the trotters and pacers set up shop in Indiana (PA) on Thursday and Friday, starting both days at 2 p.m. (contrary to what you might have seen or heard anywhere else), and the box closing at 10 a.m. per Pennsylvania fair circuit custom.

From the PFHHA, MSOA and PHHA partnership