HONESBORO PA – The three-year-old Pennsylvania Fair Sire Stakes horses got their action in Sunday at the Wayne County Fairgrounds here in the northeast part of the state, but intermittent rain that finally turned steadier a few hours before post time forced the two-year-old program during the two-day Sire Stakes meet to be washed out. It was the second cancellation of the season for the harness racing freshmen, following July 13 at Hughesville; the sophomores have been able to go to the gate every time so far.
The queen of the Sunday sophomore racing was the Donato Hanover trotting filly, All Set Lets Go, who won her seventh straight contest in a divisional "A" Sire Stakes with a 2:05.2 clocking – faster than the trotting colts and also the pacing fillies. All Set Lets Go leads all pointwinners through nine stops on the 20-event fair season with 260 points for trainer John McMullen Jr. and the McMullen Stable LLC; Roger Hammer was in the sulky behind her at Honesdale.
The horses who are 2-3-4 in the pointstandings are all at the top of a very competitive pacing filly "A" division – Gemalous (240), Bella Ragaza (235), and Camera Lady (225). At Honesdale both Bella Ragaza and Camera Lady won in 2:06, with Gemalous third in the former's victory, but still hanging on to her lead. Bella Ragaza won her sixth straight for driver Tony Schadel and trainer Linda Schadel, the latter co-owner with Roxanna Buffington; Camera Lady, last year's winningest freshman in all of North America, posted her fourth fair triumph of 2017 for trainer/driver Dave Brickell, also co-owner with Mitchell Young.
In the "glamour division" of the three-year-old pacing colts, those oldtime friendly rivals Sam Beegle and Roger Hammer are still going at it. Trainer/driver Beegle's Ginger Tree Marty, using a 30 last quarter, got home a tick faster in 2:03 for his fifth fair win in the top section for Ginger Tree Stable LLC and Bob Reber, while Marvalous Artist, who Hammer bred, trains, drove, and co-owns with Vicki Fair, has bounced between "A" and "B" division action, but by his time is obviously competitive with the top colts.
This very busy week of Pennsylvania fair racing continues tomorrow and Wednesday in Dave Palone's hometown of Waynesburg PA, 358 miles southwest of Honesdale. The two "early" (scheduled) days of racing at Honesdale was one of the state's five "Sire Stakes special meets"; the Honesdale Fair portion of the program goes on Wednesday and Thursday, with a free-for-all event joining the Sire Stakes horses both days.
Publicity Office, Pennsylvania Fair Harness Horsemen's Association
