BLOOMSBURG PA – Trainer/driver Roger Hammer alone held the all-age trotting mark at the Pennsylvania Fairs for almost seventeen years, ever since his veteran Shark Kosmos went over the Gratz strip in 1:58.2 in 2003. (The year before, after an accident at Gratz involving Shark Kosmos, Hammer had to be medically-helicoptered off the track; they told him he probably could walk again in about six weeks, and naturally Roger was back driving in five.)
A few weeks ago Dave Wade and his three-year-old trotting filly Plumb tied that 1:58.2 at the reopened Somerset County Fair. Now Roger has two points of the three-way “crown” back in his possession, as his sophomore Possess The Will gelding No Name Yankee toured the Bloomsburg (PA) Fair oval in 1:58.2 on Monday.
Another PA Fairs record and Bloomsburg track record was altered on two-year-old day, Sunday, as the Southwind Frank – Wheely Quick gelding Killer Instinct trotted in 2:00.1, a time which also now stands as the fastest ever by a baby trotter at the state’s fairs. Killer Instinct came home in :29.2 in his record mile, his third win in a row and eighth at the fairs this year, for driver Wayne Long, trainer Bob Rougeaux III, and the partnership of Brocious Racing Stable Inc. and Lone Wolf Stable.
Other season’s marks for the fairs included:
--Sophomore Western Ideal gelding Full Send pacing the quickest mile of the year on the circuit, 1:55.3 (last three-quarters 1:25.1), for driver Aaron Johnston, trainer Eli Scott Jr., and Chesapeake Equine Clinic;
--The Sweet Lou three-year-old pacing filly Ginger Tree Carey winning her third straight at the fairs, all in 2:00 or less, with a 1:56.2 - :28.3 victory for trainer/driver Sam Beegle, who co-owns her with Ginger Tree Ventures LLC, Henlopen Stable, and Neil Chesen;
--Catie Fave Hanover, a baby daughter of Artspeak – Castanet Hall, pacing a 1:58.2 mile for driver Eric Neal and trainer Richard Dunn, the latter co-owner with MBC Stables LLC;
--R Speed Of Light, a freshman Sebastian K S – Ruffleshaveridges trotting filly, winning in 2:01.3 for trainer/driver Todd Schadel, also co-owner with wife Christine and Rick and Regina Beinhauer.
Regular readers of this space may note no mention of Team Dave Brickell / Mitchell York so far. After going a combined 26-for-26 at the 2020 fairs with two-year-old pacing fillies Lazy Day Hanover (11) and Tiamogonedancen (7) and their sophomore counterpart Dream Dancing (8), the stable had an off week, with both the babies second and the three-year-old third.
Todd Schadel had five driving wins and Roger Hammer six training triumphs to head the Bloomsburg backstretch colony. The top five for the season to date: Driving – Todd Schadel 59, Dave Brickell 43, Shawn Johnston 42, Roger Hammer 31, (tie) Tony Schadel and Branden Smith 27; Training – Roger Hammer 60, Todd Schadel 57, Mitchell York, 37, (tie) Rick Beinhauer and Lisa Dunn 18.
The PA Fair Circuit now goes on to the Gratz Fairgrounds for Saturday and Sunday racing at 1:00.