CLEARFIELD – PJ’s Photo, making just her second lifetime start, stole the spotlight from the rest of the three-year-old trotters at the Clearfield County Fair harness races Wednesday afternoon.
The bay filly owned by Pius Soehnien of Canton, Ohio, established a new Driving Park record for her class by winning the first division of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes race in 2:03.2.
The previous 3YO filly trot standard for the half-mile oval was 2:03.4, set three years ago by JC Mic Mac Jillio with David Brickell in the sulky.
Catch-driver Wilbur Yoder took PJ’s Photo wire-to-wire for trainer Daren Harvey, Soehnien’s son.
“She couldn’t have done it any easier,” Yoder said. “That’s the first time I sat behind her. She’s a real sweetheart. She’s still green, so I was just keeping her mind on business. She didn’t work hard at all.”
PJ’s Photo, which won by 12 lengths three days after placing third because of a break at the Dayton Fairgrounds, did not race as a two-year-old because she developed a front-end problem, according to Harvey.
“We were ready to go and she just started to sore up,” he said. “I knew she was a nice filly, so I just kicked her out to the field.”
PJ’s Photo wound up with two cooler blankets, the Dunlap-Swales Memorial for the fastest of four dashes in the PASS race and the Queen’s Crown Award, presented in memory of Arlene Swales for the fastest mile of the day.
The nine-race program got under way with wins by The Progress cooler blanket recipient Anastasia Paul and Red Oaks Katherine in the Quaker States event.
Bill Daugherty sent Anastasia Paul from third to first around the turn between the quarter and the half, and the bay gelding owned and trained by Joe Urban of Mercer steadily increased the lead to 9-1/2 lengths by the finish line. The victory in a lifetime-best 2:08.4 was the first in three 2010 starts for Anastasia Paul, which was first or second in six of nine starts last year.
In the second division, Red Oaks Katherine was victorious in her first lifetime start. The brown filly owned and trained by Syl King Jr. of New Holland inherited the lead when Uncle Fox and Pristine Christine both went off stride in the first turn and scored in 2:16.3 for catch-driver Wayne Long. Steve Gastelu quickly got Uncle Fox back on gait, and the bay colt made it interesting but trailed by 2-1/4 lengths at the wire.
Eagle Say was another first-time winner in the second division of the PASS race, veteran driver Winston Lineweaver maintaining her rail position to pass Rosey Chick and AJ Peyton Rose in the first turn and going on to beat Rosey Chick by 2-3/4 lengths in 2:07.1. The bay fill owned by William Kreutzer of Rural Valley and Lineweaver’s wife, Eileen, of Marydel, Del., had been close to victory in only two of 13 previous starts, including two seconds in nine trips behind the gate this year.
An equipment change has made all the difference, according to the 67-year-old Lineweaver, who’s been driving at the fair for a half century.
“I put trotting hobbles on her,” he explained. “She always trotted before, but she’d get to these fairs and she wouldn’t try. So, we put the hobbles on her at Dayton and she finished second. Put ’em on her today, and she went right out there and tried. I hope she keeps doing it.”
Lineweaver’s daughter, Joyce, is Eagle Say’s trainer.
Cummingsandgoings was one of two 2009 winners to return to the Driving Park and repeat, setting a new lifetime mark of 2:05.3 in the most exciting finish of the day. Driver Randy Neal of Punxsutawney pulled the bay filly he trains and co-owns with Cliff Neal three wide out of the final turn, and Cummingsandgoings responded to pass pace-setter Caviar’s Dancer and then nip Keystone Fling by three-fourths of a length. The win was her third in a row and seventh of her career, pushing her lifetime earnings over $30,000.
Futures Photo, another sophomore unraced as a two-year-old, bested four rivals, including 2009 Clearfield County Fair winner Nine Gold Coins, in the fourth division. Driver Brady Brown had her in front all the way after Carry On My Dear broke in the first turn. Futures Photo, owned by R.J. Brown and B.G. Callihan of Chicora and T. Michael Brown of Slippery Rock, won for the second time in nine starts by 2-3/4 lengths in 2:08, a new lifetime mark. She is trained by Ashley Brown.
The first two divisions of the PASS race for colts and geldings resulted in wire-to-wire wins by Washington County and Trevor R.
“That’s where he likes it, on the front end,” Yoder said about Washington County’s victory. “He’s a little tougher to drive sometimes. If you can keep him at it, he’s pretty good. He likes the fairs. Last year, he was very green and immature. He’s developed into a lot better horse.”
The bay gelding led by 15 lengths at the half and coasted to his third win in 10 starts this year, beating 2009 Clearfield County Fair winner Pennyforyourtrotz by 4-1/2 lengths in a lifetime-best 2:07. Washington County, owned by trainer John McMullen Jr. and his daughter-in-law, Michelle McMullen, of Armagh, sports five career wins and more than $20,000 in earnings.
Trevor R had stiffer competition but had just enough left to hold off 2009 fair circuit PASS points leader North Broadway by a half-length for his second win in four days and the third in 19 lifetime starts. Driven by Bryce Truitt, the bay gelding shaved 8.2 seconds of his previous lifetime mark by scoring in 2:05.5. Truitt co-owns Trevor R with his wife, Cindy, who also is the trainer.
In the finale, KT Justin A Moment became the second 2009 winner to repeat as Ed McNeight Jr. sent him past RT Picaadilly, driven by Robert Rougeaux III, the second time down the backside and on to a 2:05 trip that earned him the Ward Fink Memorial cooler blanket.
“I guess he does like this track,” trainer Trish Adams said. “He was a good boy today. He minded his manners and got the job done. Sometimes he doesn’t do that. So, I was pleased with him.”
The bay gelding, which beat Marjoe Hall by 2-3/4 lengths for his second win in nine starts this year, was kept in the pocket behind RT Picaadilly for the first half.
“I’m pretty sure if I had pulled him early, he (Rougeaux) wouldn’t have let me go,” McNeight said. “He probably would have parked me. So, I didn’t have much choice but to sit there.”
McNeight was confident he could make the pass but wasn’t sure KT Justin A Moment could hold on at the finish.
“He gets hurting at the end of a mile. He gets sore,” McNeight said. “That’s why I pulled on the backside and not in the stretch. I wanted to get by and open up some lengths in case he got weak. And He did. He almost run on me halfway down the stretch.
“He’s going to be a really, really good horse. He’s got problems now with his front feet. Last year he was a good horse.”
KT Justin A Moment won six of 10 races and earned $20,456 in 2009 before finally being diagnosed with a hairline fracture of a pastern bone.
“He’d race fine at the fairs,” owner-trainer Ken Weaver of Home said. “Then, we’d take him to the big tracks and he’d make a break. We kept trying to figure out what it was. Finally, the vet said we had to send him to get a bone scan. He didn’t get healed until February.
“He’s got enough ability to go down there and race with the good horses.”
Despite not having a winner in four races, Roger Hammer retained his lead in the chase for the Charles “Buster” DiSalvo Trophy that goes to the driver with the most wins for the meet. He has four and is a virtual lock to claim it again with five chances to add to the total Thursday.
Yoder and McNeight each have three, but Yoder won’t be back and McNeight will drive in only one race.
Next with two wins apiece are Daugherty, Long and Chris Shaw, who will have five opportunities to pad his total.
Wednesday’s purses of $26,496.60 set the meet’s total payouts at $81,043.20 going into the final program, which will offer $26,233.50 for 44 entries. The first of the nine races for three-year-old pacers will start at noon.
Wednesday’s results, with place, horse’s name, post position in parenthesis and driver’s name:
The Progress Quaker States 3-Year-Old Trot
First Division (Purse $1,248.30) – 1. Anastasia Paul (3), B. Daugherty; 2. He’s On Broadway (2), S. Gastelu; 3. Ja Jackson Day (4), D. Brickell; 4. William Rock (1), R. Rougeaux III. Time: 2:08.4.
Second Division (Purse $1,248.30) – 1. Red Oaks Katherine (2), W. Long; 2. Uncle Fox (1), S. Gastelu; 3. Triple T Patriot (4), B. Truitt; 4. Pristine Christine (3), W. Lineweaver. Time: 2:16.3.
* * * * *
Dunlap-Swales Memorial Pennsylvania Sire Stakes 3-Year-Old Filly Trot
First Division (Purse $3,056.25) – 1. PJ’s Photo (3), W. Yoder; 2. Caviar And Kisses (5), R. Hammer; 3. Belladonna (2), B. Provost; 4. Charming Photo (1), T. Offutt; 5. Megallenium (6), C. Shaw; 6. Vestal Hanover (4), W. Long. Time: 2:03.2. (Track record for 3YO filly trotters).
Second Division (Purse $3,056.25) –1. Eagle Say (1), W. Lineweaver; 2. Rosey Chick (4), T. Offutt; 3. Ma Belle Danielle (5), S. Schoeffel; 4. AJ Peyton Rose (3), D. Brickell; 5. RT G And G (2), R. Rougeaux III; 6. Starlight Hanover (6), E. Neal. Time: 2:07.1.
Third Division (Purse $3,056.25) – 1. Cummigsandgoings (2), R. Neal; 2. Keystone Fling (6), S. Schoeffel; 3. Leola (1), W. Long; 4. Caviar’s Dancer (3), D. Brickell; 5. RT Play Girl (5), R. Rougeaux III; 6. Red Oaks Jane (4), C. Shaw. Time: 2:05.3.
Fourth Division (Purse $3,006.25) –1. Futures Photo (1), B. Brown; 2. Nine Gold Coins (5), F. Uber Jr.; 3. Southwind Cricket (4), R. Hammer; 4. Carry On My Dear (2), K. Good; 5. Sturgeon (3), R. Bolon. Time: 2:08.
* * * * *
Ward Fink Memorial Pennsylvania Sire Stakes 3-Year-Old Colt Trot
First Division (Purse $3,941.67) – 1. Washington County (3), W. Yoder; 2. Pennyforyourtrotz (5), W. Long; 3. Key Of Ahhh (4), B. Provost; 4. Powerlifter (2), R. Hammer; 5. Bam Ba Lam (1), F. Uber Jr. Time: 2:07.
Second Division (Purse $3,941.67) – 1. Trevor R (1), B. Truitt; 2. North Broadway (4), R. Bolon; 3. Elmer Fletcher (5), E. McNeight Jr.; 4. Detech (2), W. Long; 5. Tomasso (3), R. Hammer. Time: 2:05.3.
Third Division (Purse $3,941.66) – 1. KT Justin A Moment (2), E. McNeight Jr.; 2. Marjoe Hall (3), R. Hammer; 3. RT Picaadilly (1), R. Rougeaux III; 4. Fortissimo (5), W. Lineweaver; 5. Par Tech (4), W. Long. Time: 2:05.