CLEARFIELD — Four maiden wins and three lifetime marks were recorded by two-year-old trotters during the nine Pennsylvania Sire Stakes races on opening day for Clearfield County Fair harness racing at the Driving Park Sunday afternoon.
In addition, Todd Schadel continued a sizzling pace in defense of his 2018 North American UDR (Universal Driver Rating) championship in the 300-499 starts division with a trio of wins, all with babies he trains, plus two seconds and a third in seven dashes.
The first-time winners were Manhattanup No Ice, Keystone Brynn and Cocktails N Dreams in A Group races and Punta Cana Hanover in a B Group dash.
Setting new lifetime marks were No Name Yankee, Vulcan Hanover and My Dolly Zette in A Group trips.
Schadel, who hails from Spring Glen, located north of Harrisburg in Dauphin County, extended his lead over Shawn Johnston to 14 wins for the 2019 Pennsylvania Fair Circuit with Manhattanup No Ice and Keystone Brynn in back-to-back twicearounds after scoring earlier with Cool Down Hanover.
The latter was on the front end the entire way in the Hallstrom Family Trot, going under the wire in 2:07 for his second win in six starts. The bay gelding has returned $5,621 for Schadel and co-owner James Simpson of Hanover.
Manhattanup No Ice, who managed a third and a fourth in his first four races, also had an easy trip in the A.E. “Gus” Mellott Jr. Memorial Trot. The bay gelding gradually widening his lead the second time around the half-mile oval to win by 12½ lengths in 2:06.2, almost doubling his bankroll to $4,973 for owners Schadel and his wife, Christine.
Keystone Brynn prevailed in the program’s most exciting finish.
Schadel kept the bay filly he co-owns with Max Hempt of Camp Hill in the pocket until pulling him around Exuberant Gal, with Aaron Johnston in the sulky, in the middle of the stretch. Crist Hershberger made it a real three-wide thriller by taking Ridge to Riches to the outside.
At the wire, Keystone Brynn was a neck in front of Ridge To Riches, who edged Exuberant Gal by a nose for place money in The Progress Trot. The winner, clocked in 2:08.1, earned $2,025 after showing one third and $795 for her four previous races.
Perennial Clearfield County Fair driving title contender Roger Hammer wound up in the winner’s circle with No Name Yankee in the meet-opening Earl Hallstrom Memorial Trot, a B Group race. Hammer sent the bay colt he trains and owns around Schadel-driven Boromir Hanover the first time down the backstretch and went on a five-length victory in 2:06.4. The win was the fourth in seven trips behind the gate for No Name Yankee, boosting his earnings to $7,950.
Eric Neal of Punxsutawney was in the bike behind the other two winners who lowered their lifetime marks. Both are trained by Michael Whitaker for owner Shantae Gant of Mansfield, La.
After going off gait just after leaving the gate first, Vulcan Hanover still was fourth and last halfway through the Cecelia M. “Ceci” Lizotte Memorial Trot, when frontrunner Boyz of Summer, driven by Hammer, broke in front of the grandstand.
Neal had Vulcan Hanover second by the three-quarters pole and urged the bay gelding around driver Aaron Johnston and A Kat Named Jody on the final turn. He was six lengths in front at the wire, scoring his second win in five starts in 2:07.4 to raise his purses to $9.428.
My Dolly Zette got the opportunity to establish a new mark by inheriting the lead in the Robert Luce Memorial Trot when Jean Jeanie, who Hammer had front from the start, went off strike rounding the final turn.
The bay filly’s time for the 2½-length win, her second in five starts, was 2:07.4. She has $8,755 in earnings.
Tony Schadel denied his older brother a third win in a row and a fourth overall with Cocktails N Dreams in Race 6, the Walter Jackson Sr. Memorial Trot.
He sat the bay filly until the final quarter, moving up to second coming into the straightaway and running down Byathread Hanover in deep stretch to triumph by three-fourths of a length in 2:05.1, a new standard for TYO fillies on the state fair circuit this summer.
The previous record? A 2:06 at York on July 2 by Byathread Hanover trained and driven by Todd Schadel.
Tony Schadel and his wife Linda, who is the trainer, are co-owners of Cocktails N Dreams, who made her fair debut after five races at three pari-mutuel tracks. Her purses total $8,527.
Punta Cana Hanover, with only one third in six starts for driver Mitchell York of Cranberry and trainer/co-owner David Brickell of Smicksburg, had clear sailing after Hammer’s Royal Pillar breaking twice and Shawn Johnston’s Broadway K also going off gait in the Fritz Beinhauer Memorial Trot.
The bay filly increased her earnings to $4,944 with the 2:11.4 trip that had her 8¼ lengths ahead at the wire.
Zachary Kaiser was the sixth driver to post a win when Conversation Piece, another bay filly, overtook York’s Peace Out in the stretch of the Charles “Chick” Young Memorial Trot for her second victory in three starts.
She won by 4½ lengths in 2:11.2, increasing the purses to $3,695 for the driver and his father Zan, who also is the trainer.
Eight races for two-year-old Pennsylvania Sire Stakes pacers are on Monday’s program, with post time at noon, that matches the opening card with 33 babies racing for purses totaling $32,200.
Sunday’s results, with horse’s name, number in parenthesis, and driver’s name:
PENNSYLVANIA SIRE STAKES TWO-YEAR-OLD COLT & GELDING B GROUP TROT
Earl Hallstrom Memorial Division ($2,750) – 1. No Name Yankee (4), R. Hammer; 2. Keystone Chaos (5), J. Daugherty; 3. Keystone Viktor (3), E. Neal; 4. Boromir Hanover (1), Todd Schadel; 5. Call Me Massive (2), Tony Schadel. TIME: 2:06.4.
PENNSYLVANIA SIRE STAKES TWO-YEAR-OLD COLT & GELDING A GROUP TROT
Hallstrom Family Division ($4,050) – 1. Cool Down Hanover (1), Todd Schadel; 2. RJ Hanover (3), J. Indof; 3. Barcia Hanover (2), Zan Kaiser; 4. Linda’s Will (4), R. Hammer. TIME: 2:07.
Cecilia M. “Ceci” Lizotte Memorial Division ($4,050) – 1. Vulcan Hanover (4), E. Neal; 2. A Kat Named Jody (3), A. Johnston; 3. Boyz of Summer (2), R. Hammer; 4. Justice Matters (1), W. Long. TIME: 2:07.4.
A.E. “Gus” Mellott Jr. Memorial Division ($3,975) – 1. Manhattanup No Ice (1), Todd Schadel; 2. Integer (2), W. Long; 3. Explosive Dreamer (3), M. York. TIME: 2:06.2.
PENNSYLVANIA SIRE STAKES TWO-YEAR-OLD FILLY A GROUP TROT
The Progress Division ($4,050) – 1. Keystone Brynn(4), Todd Schadel; 2. Ridge To Riches (1), C. Hershberger; 3. Exuberant Gal (3), A. Johnston; 2. Amazing Allison (2), B. Brown. TIME: 2:08.1.
Walter Jackson Sr. Memorial Division ($4,050) – 1. Cocktails N Dreams (3), Tony Schadel; 2. Byathread Hanover (1), Todd Schadel; 3. Lindy Pretty Lady (2), K. Bolon; 4. Peachy Georgia (4), S. Johnston. TIME: 2:05.1.
Robert Luce Memorial Division ($3,975) – 1. My Dolly Zette (3), E. Neal; 2. Chinchilla Hanover (1), Todd Schadel; 3. Jean Jeanie (2), R. Hammer. TIME: 2:07.4.
PENNSYLVANIA SIRE STAKES TWO-YEAR-OLD FILLY B GROUP TROT
Charles “Chick” Young Memorial Division ($2,650) – 1. Conversation Piece (2), Zach Kaiser; 2. Peace Out (1), M. York; 3. Linnea Hanover (3), Tony Schadel. TIME: 2:11.2.
Fritz Beinhauer Memorial Division ($2,650) – 1. Punta Cana Hanover (2), M. York; 2. Broadway K (1), S. Johnston; 3. Royal Pillar (3), R. Hammer. TIME: 2:11.4.