HONESDALE PA – The red-hot pairing of trainer Mitchell York and driver David Brickell improved on their recent record by going 5-for-5 with the barn’s starters during Pennsylvania Fair Sire Stakes action at the Wayne County Fair in Honesdale PA, including lowering the record for two-year-old pacing fillies at the northeast Pennsylvania oval to 2:01.1 with Tiamogonedancen.
The daughter of A Rocknroll Dance – Tiamo became the first horse to set two divisional track records this year, having paced in 2:00.1 at Clearfield, which is also faster than any baby colt on the state twicearounds this year. The precocious filly is unbeaten in three fair starts; her only career defeat came when she tried the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes pari-mutuel fillies, in a race won by Grace Hill –the only freshman to win three straight in the “big” Sire Stakes to date.
The two-year-olds had the spotlight on Thursday; when the three-year-olds took center stage Friday, the Artspeak gelding Bipbopnallie produced the fastest time of the week, 2:00, in winning the “A” colt pace stake. Tony Schadel sulkysat behind the winner for trainer Roger Hammer and the ownership of Leblanc Racing Inc., Count De Money Stable, and William Lutz Jr. Bipbopnallie came to the fairs and promptly won a “B” event at Clearfield in 1:59.4 (he and the fair’s season’s recordholder, Full Send at 1:57.4, are the only two double 2:00 performers on the circuit). Then came an “A” event win at Meadville and now the victory here over opponents who collectively have captured six “A” victories and four “B” wins in 2020 themselves.
Brickell/York saw their A Rocknroll Dance sophomore filly Dream Dancing win again, here in 2:02.2; in her last seven starts, Dream Dancing has four “A” fair wins and 1-3-4 finishes in the pari-mutuel Stallion Series. A champion of her division at two, Dream Dancing defeated Artistic Spirit and trainer Eli Scott Jr., who had won his first five starts at the fairs this season.
Fastest trotting mile was posted by the Andover Hall gelding Manhattanup No Ice in 2:04; he is now a three-time fair winner for driver/trainer/owner Todd Schadel. Todd and Dave Brickell each drove five winners at Honesdale to top that list, while Mitchell York’s quintet gave him training honors and brought his fair tally to 36-22-4-9, a percentage of .611 – no, wait, that’s his win percentage; his UTR is a staggering .747.
The fair trotters and pacers now step up from double-time action – there will be fair racing on Sunday and Monday at “Arden Downs,” the old Grand Circuit stop at the Washington County Fairgrounds, at 10 a.m.