By: Jerry Connors, Jr.
WATTSBURG PA – The sophomore Stay Hungry gelding Rose Run Zeke came within a fifth of a second of tying the all-age record at the Erie County Fair in this northwest Pennsylvania borough, crossing the wire in 2:00.2 during Pennsylvania Fair Sire Stakes “A” competition on Tuesday. The record of 2:00.1 still resides with the two-year-old male Venier Hanover and the three-year-old male Midway Island.
The proceedings in the three-year-old pacing colt section was swept by driver Eric Neal, who guided Rose Run Zeke for trainer-owner Mitchell York, and won the other “A” section with the Betting Line gelding Always Bet On Me in 2:01 for trainer-father Randal, with Eric the co-owner with Neal Racing Stable LLC.
Eric also won the “B” section with RT Whistlin Willy, an altered son of A Rocknroll Dance trained by Tom Loughery Jr. for Brocious Racing Stable. “Willy” is interesting because he has won seven times in “B” company – PA fair rules require a “B” horse to move up to “A” if winning three of four starts, but since the fair schedule gets so crowded that races for the next fair are often drawn before the current one is completed, on Friday at Stoneboro “Willy” will, for the second time this season, be eligible to stay in the lower class through the “eligible at time of entry” rule.
Among the sophomore trotters, “sweeps” of “A” action occurred for both sexes, as driver Brady Brown and trainer Steve Schoeffel won both colt events, with Cyclone Ben (fastest trotter of the meet at 2:04.1) and Bird And Grenade, while on the filly side, driver Wayne Long and trainer Joyce Lineweaver clicked with Unique Wedding and Trinity’s Advocate.
During Monday’s two-year-old competition, one Wattsburg track record was reset – the trotting filly RT Paint It Black (Greenshoe – Fancy), whose 2:05.3 mile gave her a line in the record books by a tick over the old mark set in 2016 by Lovebeinglucky. RT Paint It Black’s accomplishment was burnished by the fact that her win came over Classy Cocktail, a seven-time “A” winner. The new recordholder, also the meet’s fastest two-year-old trotter, was driven by Eric Neal for trainer Tom Loughry Jr. and Lone Wolf Stable.
Joining Classy Cocktail as a seven-time “A” freshman winner was the Bar Hopping – Moots trotting gelding Mr Hooper (driver Aaron Johnson), who now has won five times straight for trainer Bill Daugherty Jr. and owner/wife Susan.
Fastest pacing mile among the two-year-olds actually came in a “B” event, as the Papi Rob Hanover – Apple Hanover colt Stealing Apples won in 2:03.2 for 18-year-old driver Jesse Barnard, veteran trainer Tim Twaddle, and owner Brady Doyle.
The driving crown at the Wattsburg meet landed on the head of Eric Neal, who paraded back eight winners, two more than Aaron Johnston. Joyce Lineweaver and Tom Loughery Jr. each harnessed four winners to tie at the top of the conditioners column.
As noted, Stoneboro is next on the schedule, the last stop on the “western swing” of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes trail, with post time at 5 p.m. on Thursday and noon on Friday. The fans in attendance over the last few meets will have certainly gotten their fill of action, as 30 heats were raced over two days at both Indiana and Wattsburg, and 32 more are scheduled for Stoneboro, as the trotters and pacers try to earn their way into their respective $25,000 Pennsylvania Fair Sire Stakes Championships, to be held at The Meadows on Friday, October 11.
WATTSBURG PA – The sophomore Stay Hungry gelding Rose Run Zeke came within a fifth of a second of tying the all-age record at the Erie County Fair in this northwest Pennsylvania borough, crossing the wire in 2:00.2 during Pennsylvania Fair Sire Stakes “A” competition on Tuesday. The record of 2:00.1 still resides with the two-year-old male Venier Hanover and the three-year-old male Midway Island.
The proceedings in the three-year-old pacing colt section was swept by driver Eric Neal, who guided Rose Run Zeke for trainer-owner Mitchell York, and won the other “A” section with the Betting Line gelding Always Bet On Me in 2:01 for trainer-father Randal, with Eric the co-owner with Neal Racing Stable LLC.
Eric also won the “B” section with RT Whistlin Willy, an altered son of A Rocknroll Dance trained by Tom Loughery Jr. for Brocious Racing Stable. “Willy” is interesting because he has won seven times in “B” company – PA fair rules require a “B” horse to move up to “A” if winning three of four starts, but since the fair schedule gets so crowded that races for the next fair are often drawn before the current one is completed, on Friday at Stoneboro “Willy” will, for the second time this season, be eligible to stay in the lower class through the “eligible at time of entry” rule.
Among the sophomore trotters, “sweeps” of “A” action occurred for both sexes, as driver Brady Brown and trainer Steve Schoeffel won both colt events, with Cyclone Ben (fastest trotter of the meet at 2:04.1) and Bird And Grenade, while on the filly side, driver Wayne Long and trainer Joyce Lineweaver clicked with Unique Wedding and Trinity’s Advocate.
During Monday’s two-year-old competition, one Wattsburg track record was reset – the trotting filly RT Paint It Black (Greenshoe – Fancy), whose 2:05.3 mile gave her a line in the record books by a tick over the old mark set in 2016 by Lovebeinglucky. RT Paint It Black’s accomplishment was burnished by the fact that her win came over Classy Cocktail, a seven-time “A” winner. The new recordholder, also the meet’s fastest two-year-old trotter, was driven by Eric Neal for trainer Tom Loughry Jr. and Lone Wolf Stable.
Joining Classy Cocktail as a seven-time “A” freshman winner was the Bar Hopping – Moots trotting gelding Mr Hooper (driver Aaron Johnson), who now has won five times straight for trainer Bill Daugherty Jr. and owner/wife Susan.
Fastest pacing mile among the two-year-olds actually came in a “B” event, as the Papi Rob Hanover – Apple Hanover colt Stealing Apples won in 2:03.2 for 18-year-old driver Jesse Barnard, veteran trainer Tim Twaddle, and owner Brady Doyle.
The driving crown at the Wattsburg meet landed on the head of Eric Neal, who paraded back eight winners, two more than Aaron Johnston. Joyce Lineweaver and Tom Loughery Jr. each harnessed four winners to tie at the top of the conditioners column.
As noted, Stoneboro is next on the schedule, the last stop on the “western swing” of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes trail, with post time at 5 p.m. on Thursday and noon on Friday. The fans in attendance over the last few meets will have certainly gotten their fill of action, as 30 heats were raced over two days at both Indiana and Wattsburg, and 32 more are scheduled for Stoneboro, as the trotters and pacers try to earn their way into their respective $25,000 Pennsylvania Fair Sire Stakes Championships, to be held at The Meadows on Friday, October 11.
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