Ante Up Hanover too strong in quick time

HONESDALE PA – Ante Up Hanover, a five-year-old altered son of Betting Line, won a division of the free-for-all pace at the Honesdale (PA) Fair on Wednesday in 1:56.4, coming within two-fifths of a second of the 16-year-old all-age harness racing track mark of Alastor Hanover.

Trainer Cody Schadel, who conditions the horse for the owners, father Todd and mother Christine, took the driving assignment as the pacer, a recent 1:51.4 winner at Pocono, won off by himself. A Fair Sire Stakes winner at Honesdale at two, Ante Up Hanover now has career earnings of $205,764.

Besides Alastor Hanover’s, there are two other pacing records that were established at still-racing Pennsylvania fairs in 2010: Straight Character set the Indiana and Washington standards that have stood this test of time. On the trotting side, every track record has been broken since 2011 except one – at Indiana, Keystone Badger’s speed mark of 2:00 has been in place for 38 years now!

Honesdale annually conducts a free-for-all event on both the pace and the trot, to their commendation. The other division of the FFA pace went to Honesdale’s own Richard Dunn, trainer and co-owner with MBC Stables, of Rusty Beach, a Monticello Open performer who won “at home” in 1:58.2 guided by Eric Neal. The FFA trot on Thursday was won by a Schadel “family team,” but in the other direction: Todd drove Menotti to victory for trainer-owner-father Bruce Schadel.

For a two-day meet with 22 races, there were many horses who earned distinction, and we will mention those, starting with Wednesday’s two-year-olds. Fastest freshman pacer was the Papi Rob Hanover – Warrawee Quick colt Fast Getaway (“A,” Todd Schadel, 2:02); fillies Dragon Flame (Td. Schadel) and Honey Roll (Sam Beegle) won “A” events in 2:02.2.

Among baby trotters, the Father Patrick – Wind Of The West filly Western Twister is now undefeated in five “A” starts after a 2:04 triumph for driver Eric Neal, trainer Tom Loughry Jr., and Brocious Racing Stable Inc.; that same combine had the fastest of the freshmen at 2:03.3, RT Road To Glory (Fordham Road – RT Gloria De Dios).

 Among the three-year-old trotters, Neal/Loughry Jr. swept the “A” contests, with the Fordham Road gelding RT Wonder Colt in 2:03.3 for “Rocky Top” Brocious, and the Father Patrick filly Hot For Her in 2:05.1 for Lone Wolf Stable.

Among the sidewheeling fillies, both “A” winners tied the all-divisions fair seasonal mark with their fifth victories for Team Todd Schadel: the Bettor’s Wish filly Don’t Be Late in 2:02.4 and the Papi Rob Hanover miss Papi Knows in 2:02.2. The “B” winner also came from Todd’s barn, and she won for the fifth time, but they’ve all been in the lower class – Dark Sky (Tall Dark Stranger).The same stable also had the fastest sophomore in the Tall Dark Stranger gelding Fourbyfourbyyou in 2:02.

This Honesdale meet was the “fair meet,” following the earlier 2-Day Fair Sire Stakes meet. Careful readers will have surmised that Todd Schadel won this stand’s driving and training title, but also having a fine meet were the teams of driver Eric Neal and trainer Tom Loughry Jr. and driver Tony and trainer Linda Schadel.

The PA Fair Circuit now goes 341 miles on a mostly-west and slightly-south route to the Washington County Fair (just down the road from The Meadows), held over the oval known as Arden Downs and once a home of Grand Circuit racing.  Entries will be drawn on Friday for racing on Sunday the 16th (scheduled at 10 am) and Monday the 17^th (11 am). This is the busiest fair week of the Pennsylvania summer: after Washington they’ll be at Dayton on Wednesday and Thursday, and Meadville on Friday and Saturday.

For complete race results, click here: US Trotting results.

From the PFHHA, MSOA and PHHA partnership