MEADVILLE PA – The annual two-day harness racing meet during the Crawford County Fair in this town in northwestern Pennsylvania, the one fair of the late Walter "Boots" Dunn, brought the pacing colts into the spotlight – with the prodigy freshman colt Venier Hanover again flirting with an all-age track record when the freshmen raced Wednesday, and the sophomore Midway Island then breaking that all-time Meadville mark when winning in 1:58 on Thursday.

The Somebeachsomewhere gelding Midway Island made his first start on the 2017 Pennsylvania fair circuit, and, coming off a lifetime best 1:52.1 at The Meadows, the three-year-old showed he can handle the twicearound oval in style, knocking a 1/5 of a second off the previous mark, the 1:58.1 of McAlvin in 2013 while also perforce eclipsing that horse's divisional mark. The constant between the old and new Meadville standardbearers is driver Chris Shaw, who guided the 16¼-length winner, a month-old acquisition for trainer Ron Burke and the ownership of Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Knox Services Inc., and David Wills. (Burke is 4-for-4 at the fairs this year.)

A day earlier, the Well Said gelding Venier Hanover paced the half-mile oval in 1:58.3, his fourth divisional track record of the year – no other horse has more than one. It was also Venier Hanover's fourth 2:00 mile on the circuit — three-year-old Ginger Tree Marty, who will be interesting to watch race against Midway Island, has five, and thus the two have nine of the 17 2:00 miles for the year at the fairs between them. Venier Hanover, who has nine victories overall and is 8-7-1-0 at the fairs, is trained and was driven by Dave Brickell, co-owner with Mitchell York.

On Thursday, Team Brickell/York came back to tie the Meadville mark for three-year-old pacing fillies, 2:00.4, with Camera Lady, a daughter of Dragon Again who was 2016's winningest freshman and who has six wins at the fairs this season. Unbeamlieveable first established the divisional local mark a year and a day previously.

The other "A" Sire Stake three-year-old pacing filly division was won by Bella Ragaza, who is now 10-9-1-0 at the fairs, including wins in her last eight outings, in 2:03.2 for driver Tony Schadel and trainer Linda Schadel, also co-owner with Roxanna Buffington. Bella Ragaza has the most points on the fair circuit this year with 340, and in fact this division has the horses 1-3-4 in the overall standings – Bella Regaza, Camera Lady (305), and Gemalous (292).

The horse in the point midst of this Big Three – and the only horse to have a longer win streak at the fairs than Bella Ragaza – would be a trotting counterpart of hers, the Donato Hanover filly All Set Lets Go, who took the race immediately after Bella Ragaza won. The 2:03.3 victory was the ninth straight win on the cotton candy circuit for All Set Lets Go, raising her point total to 330. Roger Hammer handled sulky duty for trainer John McMullen Jr. and his family's McMullen Stable LLC.

Before the Meadville record book is closed, we must take note of the Muscle Massive freshman gelding Bela's Bad Boy, who on Wednesday was victorious in 2:06 for trainer/driver Todd Schadel, also co-owner with Christine Schadel. That 2:06 clocking was the fastest race mile by a baby trotting male at Meadville, 2/5 faster than a 2014 mile by Police Navidad — although there was a qualifying race at Meadville in 2006 won by the freshman male Penn Monie Mosie in Q2:05.1. So the Meadville record books will now carrying both horses in this category.

Todd Schadel tied with his partner on Hambletonian winner Vivid Photo, Roger Hammer, for leading trainer at Meadville with four victories; Hammer leads Jason Shaw 37-27 in the seasons' standings. Hammer also was in the sulky for six winners at Meadville, bringing him closer to leader Chris Shaw in a 46-40 duel.

The fair circuit is at its busiest all season during the extended week ending on Labor Day. There will be racing at Indiana on Monday and Tuesday; at Wattsburg on Tuesday and Wednesday; and at Stoneboro on Thursday and Monday (Labor Day) before the circuit ends its western tour and heads east for its final three stops at York, Gratz, and Bloomsburg.

Publicity Office, Pennsylvania Fair Harness Horsemen's Association