CLEARFIELD — Five two-year-old trotters raced into the winner’s circle for the first time as the 2014 Clearfield County Fair harness racing meet got under way Sunday at the Driving Park.
Two of the maiden winners were Lucky Shimm and Talking Scandal in the Quaker State Trot, which had only three starters in each division.
Owner-trainer-driver Jim Daugherty of Mercer also registered his first win of the year in the sulky behind Lucky Shimm in the Earl Hallstrom Memorial Division.
The bay filly overcame a rough start to chase down Wynnie Lauxmont, driven by Cory Kreiser, in the stretch for a two-length victory in 2:10.2 that boosted her earnings close to $2,000.
Lucky Shimm’s best finishes in four previous fair circuit starts were fourths at Butler and Meadville earlier this month.
Talking Scandal, driven by owner-trainer David Brickell of Smicksburg, was a runaway winner in the Moyer’s Auto Body Division, stretching her lead to 22¾ lengths at the wire.
The bay filly, making in her fair debut after four races at The Meadows in Washington, Pa., stopped the clock at 2:09.1 to take her earnings over $2,300.
In the most exciting finish of the afternoon, Isabella Carina had most of the fans on their feet when she roared down deep stretch to pass Mooksie in the final strides after having to make up 20 lengths in her second trip around the half-mile oval in the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Filly Trot’s Foster Kerr Memorial Division.
Steve Schoeffel seemed to have Mooksie, sporting five wins, a second and a third for earnings of $22,491 in seven starts, on cruise control coming out of the final turn of the Foster Kerr Memorial race.
But Aaron Johnston refused to allow Isabella Carina to settle for second and drove her to a half-length win in 2:00.2.
Thirds at the Butler and Bedford fairs were the best showings the brown filly owned by the Dunn Stable of Cochranton and trained by Walter “Boots” Dunn had on her chart for four stats.
Marion Coca and The Master were first-time winners for catch-driver Wayne Long of Camden, Del.,
in two of the three PASS Colt Trot dashes.
Marion Coca, trained by lessee Syl King Jr. of New Holland, was in the right spot when favored Bucks Jetta broke at the top of the stretch in the Chester C. Chidboy Memorial Division, moving past the pace-setter as well as Supercycle.
The bay gelding went on to score in 2:11.1 for a 3¾-length victory in his fourth start, increasing his earnings to $4,782.
Long enjoyed a much easier trip behind The Master, also trained by King for owner Mahlon H. Martin of East Earl.
The Master was first out of the gate and was challenged only when Chiney Babco, driven by Schoeffel, closed to within two lengths at the three-quarters pole.
The bay gelding, which had qualified in 2:05 at Pocono Downs, widened the gap to 6¾ lengths when he went under the wire in 2:07.4. His earnings jumped to more than $7,500 for six starts.
Those wins made Long a triplewinner and the early leader for the Charles “Buster” DiSalvo Trophy that goes to the meet’s top driver as he was victorious earlier with one of filly trotters he trains and co-owns with Joyce Lineweaver of Camden, Del.
Long kept HS Pearl second or third behind Peoplesayimnogood most of the way in the A.E. “Gus” Mellott Jr. Memorial Division of the PASS Filly Trot before taking her outside in the stretch to beat owner-trainer-driver Roger Hammer’s bay filly by a length in 2:08.2.
HS Pearl now has three wins, two seconds and two thirds in eight starts to pile up winnings of $17,429.
The PASS Colt Trot’s Hallstrom Family Memorial Division was a thriller for the large crowd in the grandstand with Todd Schadel taking Challenge outside of TSM Hottamale in the stretch and holding off the Kreiser-driven bay gelding by ¾ of a length. A nose back in third was Andover Express, who charged down the rail as driver Chris Shaw made it three-wide at the wire.
Challenge scored in 2:10.1 for his second win in three starts and now has returned $4,625 to co-owners Todd and Christine Schadel of Gratz.
Police Navidad was a gate-to-wire winner for Schoeffel with a 2:07.4 trip in the Richie Salvatore Memorial Division of the PASS Colt Trot. Music Man DeVie, driven by Long, was 2¾ lengths back in second place.
Schoeffel also trains the bay gelding owned by Landers Stables LLC of Herminie, L. & V.P. Schoeffel of Evans City and J.M. Reuther of East Aurora, N.Y.
Police Navidad has earned more than $16,000 on five wins and one third in seven starts.
Nine races for two-year-old pacers are on the Tuesday card, with noon the post time for the first dash.
Monday’s results, with place, horse’s name, post position in parentheses, and driver’s name:
Quaker State 2-Year-Old Trot
Earl Hallstrom Memorial Division (Purse $1,405) – 1. Lucky Shimm (4), J. Daugherty; 2. Wynnie Lauxmont (3), C. Kreiser; 3. Hot and Thirsty (1), M. Mosher. TIME: 2:10.2. Scratched – Sweetmary McAdoo (2).
Moyer’s Auto Body Division (Purse $1,355) – 1. Talking Scandal (4), D. Brickell; 2. Oregon Ridge (3), A. Johnston; 2. Trained To Sweep (2), J. Dodson. TIME: 2:09.1.
Pennsylvania Sire Stakes 2-Year-Old Filly Trot
A. E. “Gus” Mellott, Jr., Memorial Division (Purse $5,980) – 1. HS Pearl (1), W. Long; 2. Peoplesayimnogood (2), R. Hammer; 3. Shewontkissandtell (3), B. Brown; 4. Susie B (4), B. Brown; 5. Two Days Finale (5), R. Rougeaux III; 6. Miss Train (6), C. Shaw. TIME: 2:08.2.
Foster Kerr Memorial Division (Purse $5,980) – 1. Isabella Carina (5), A. Johnston; 2. Mooksie (3), S. Schoeffel; 3. Massive Looker (6), R. Hammer; 4. Trustworthy Gal (4), C. Shaw; 6 placed 5. (Judy’s JJ, J. Smith; 5 placed 6. Mrvelosity Hanover (1), T. Schadel. TIME: 2:09.2.
Pennsylvania Sire Stakes 2-Year-Old Colt Trot
Hallstrom Family Memorial Division (Purse $3,110) – 1. Challenge (3), T. Schadel; 2. TSM Hot tamale (1), C. Kreiser; 3. Andover Express (5), C. Shaw; 4. Bambam Lauxmont (6), R. Rougeaux III; 5. Pearly Prince (4), D. Brickell; 6. Nexus Lauxmont (2), W. Long. TIME: 2:10.1.
Chester C. Chidboy Memorial Division (Purse $3,060) – 1. Marion Coca (4), W. Long; 2. Super cycle (1), S. Schoeffel; 3. Chocolate Boy (5), R. Hammer; 4. Babining Hanover (2), T. Schadel; 5. Bucks Jetta (3), J. Dodson. TIME: 2:11.1.
Richie Salvatore Memorial Division (Purse $3,060) – 1. Police Navidad (4), S. Schoeffel; 2. Music Man De Vie (5), W. Long; 3. Hawaiian Beach bum (3), C. Shaw; 4. Windsun Playboy (2), R. Rougeaux III; 5. Lightening War (1), J. Smith. TIME: 2:07.4.
Auto Mart of Clearfield Division (Purse $3,060) – 1. The Master (1), W. Long; 2. Chiney Babco (5), S. Schoeffel; 3. Snake Eyes (2), R. Hammer; 4. Native Trout (3), A. Johnston; 5. King Kama (4), C. Shaw. TIME: 2:07.4.
