CLEARFIELD – Maiden wins for aged pacers in the second and third races, a Driving Park record for aged trotters in the fourth dash and special victories by young drivers in the last two races added up to an entertaining opening day for the Clearfield County Fair Harness Racing Meet Monday afternoon.
By far, the happiest driver was Aaron Johnston, a 16-year-old from Evans City who will begin his junior year at Seneca Valley High School in a few weeks.
Just two days after receiving his harness racing driver license, he made an auspicious debut in the sulky by taking Rama\’s Pretty K to the outside coming down the stretch for a one-length victory over Luther\’s Wonder in the First Division of the Auto Mart of Clearfield Pace for winners over $6,000 lifetime.
Rama\’s Pretty K, a nine-year-old bay mare with more than $46,000 in earnings, won for the fourth time in 25 starts this year. One was a $4,000 claiming race July 12 at The Meadows in Washington.
Johnston also had two seconds and a third for an impressive start to his driving career. His lone disappointment was that Rama\’s Pretty K didn\’t receive the Auto Mart cooler blanket for her time of 2:04-1/5.
That\’s because Chris Shaw, a 21-year-old, second-year driver from Washington, capped his first appearance at the half-mile oval by guiding Slayer of Dragons to victory in 2:03-1/5 in the second division.
The four-year-old bay gelding went over $29,000 in lifetime earnings with his fourth win in 17 starts this year. He went to the post 37 times in 2006 and placed 21 times, including a pair of wins.
Annabelle Lee is the newest Clearfield County Fair record-holder, trotting a 2:02-2/5 mile for driver-trainer Terry Brown to eclipse the 2:03-1/5 that Surpassing Hanover posted for driver Roger Hammer in 2003.
Brown had the four-year-old brown mare on the lead all the way in the First Division of the Kevin A. Beardsley Funeral Home Trot for winners over $6,000, and she pulled away from Keystone Spark in the stretch for a convincing 2-1/2-length victory.
A fourth at the Butler Fair had been Annabelle Lee\’s best effort in three 2007 starts.
In the Second Division of the Beardsley Funeral Home Trot, driver Joe Offutt kept SJ\’s Warrior in third place until the second trip down the backstretch. When Rapidasher went off gait, Offutt guided his five-year-old bay gelding past the leader and runner-up Boomer Berman, a 2006 Clearfield County Fair winner, and had him 2-1/4 lengths in front at the finish line. SJ\’s Warrior stopped the clock at 2:05-4/5.
The first-time winners were Miss Unimpossible and Nitroglycerine in the two divisions of the Foster Kerr Memorial Pace for non-winners of $6,000.
Owner John Horten of Johnstown drove Miss Unimpossible to victory in only her sixth lifetime start, her third this summer on the fair circuit. In the most exciting finish of the day, the three-year-old bay filly overtook Morgan Hershey, driven by Shaw, in the final strides to win by a quarter length in 2:07-3/5. Satisfied Customer, with Johnston in the sulky, also closed fast to place third, 1-1/2 lengths behind Morgan Hershey.
Nitroglycerine, a two-year-old first-time starter, held off Maggies Indian Art in the stretch to win the Second Division in 2:06-3/5. The bay colt was driven by Terry Brown for owner Jack Claypoole of Kittanning.
Upfront Get-R-Dun, owned by Katricia Adams of Home, near Indiana, gave driver Winston Lineweaver two easy trips in sweeping both heats of the Earl Hallstrom Memorial Trot for non-winners of $6,000.
After winning the first race of the day by seven lengths in 2:08, the four-year-old bay gelding came back in the sixth race with a 2:06-2/5 trip, finishing 2-3/4 lengths in front.
Purses totaled $4,725 for the 29 aged trotters and pacers.
Tuesday\’s seven Quaker State Races for two-year-olds and three-year-olds have attracted 34 entries, with the payout climbing to $10,266. Post time is 1 p.m.
Monday\’s results, with post position in parenthesis, followed by driver\’s name:
Earl Hallstrom Memorial Trot
(Non-winners of $6,000 lifetime)
First Heat – 1. Upfront Get-R-Dun (5), W. Lineweaver; 2. Rainy Day Red (6), R. Neal; 3. Mablesyrup (1), D. Smith; 4. Brigett Hershey (4), K. Redmon; 5. Megan\’s Mane Man (3), C. Shaw. Time: 2:08.
Second Heat – 1. Upfront Get-R-Dun (1), W. Lineweaver; 2. Mablesyrup (3), D. Smith; 3. Brigett Hershey (4), K. Redmon; 4. Megan\’s Mane Man (5), C. Shaw; 5. Rainy Day Red (2), R. Neal. Time: 2:06-2/5.
Scratched – Tag Party.
Foster Kerr Memorial Pace
(Non-winners of $6,000 lifetime)
First Division – 1. Miss Unimpossible (4), J. Horten; 2. Morgan Hershey (3), C. Shaw; 3. Satisfied Customer (2), A. Johnston; 4. Triple T Magician (1), W. Lineweaver. Time: 2:07-3/5.
Second Division – 1. Nitroglycerine (3), T. Brown; 2. Maggies Indian Art (2), W. Lineweaver; 3. DVC Early Sunrise (1), C. Shaw. Time: 2:06-3/5.
Kevin A. Beardsley Funeral Home Trot
(Winners over $6,000 lifetime)
First Division – 1. Annabelle Lee (3), T. Brown; 2. Keystone Spark (4), K. Good; 3. K T Brat (2), R. Neal; 4. Hunter Crown Royal (1), S. Claypoole. Time: 2:02-2/5 (New track record for aged trotters).
Second Division – 1. SJ\’s Warrior (2), J. Offut; 2. Boomer Berman (1), A. Johnston; 3. Daisy Mae Hershey (4), C. Shaw; 4. Rapidasher (3), R. Neal. Time: 2:05-4/5.
Auto Mart of Clearfield Pace
(Winners over $6,000 lifetime)
First Division – 1. Rama\’s Pretty K (1), A. Johnston; 2. Luther\’s Wonder (2), R.Neal; 3. RT El Sid (4), C. Shaw; 4. Dragon Magic (3), W. Lineweaver. Time: 2:04-1/5.
First Division – 1. Slayer of Dragons (2), C. Shaw; 2. Nadine Killean (3), A. Johnston; 3. Boneire\’s Bubba (1), D. Smith; 4. Sheila Dawn Killean (4), R. Neal. Time: 2:03-1/5.