CLEARFIELD — On a pluperfect afternoon with Roger Hammer of Bedford clamping a virtual lock on another Clearfield County Fair harness racing driving title with three more wins and three-year-old trotters putting on a spectacular show for the Driving Park crowd Tuesday, 70-year-old Dave Wade of McMurray and outstanding bay gelding Simeon stole the limelight.
Simeon exploded out of the gate and quickly left four rivals with only second place a possibility, bolting to a 15-length lead with a 28.4 fraction that became a 20-length advantage at the half in a week’s best 59.3 seconds.
With nobody in his rearview mirror, Wade eased up a little on the second trip around the half-mile oval, and that prevented Simeon from establishing a track record for his 23¼-length victory in the Neeper‘s Sweet Treats Division of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Colt Trot.
The 2:02 time for his ninth win in 21 starts matched the Driving Park 3YO mark for colts and geldings established in 2003 by Cottonwood Sam with Steve Schoeffel in the sulky.
Wade had to return to the front of the grandstand at the end of the 11-race program to receive the Queen’s Crown Memorial Trophy for the fastest dash of the day. The award is made in memory of “Queen Mom” Arlene E. Swales.
Unraced as a two-year-old, Simeon has amassed $74,362 for Wade and co-owners Anne Wade, Gerald Brittingham of Virginia Beach, Va., and William Peel III of Potomac, Md.
Most of Simeon’s purses were earned at The Meadows, where he won a qualifier in 1:57.3 on July 9 and then lowered his lifetime mark to 1:56.2 in a $32,371 Arden Downs stake Saturday night when, as the second choice behind the odds-on betting favorite, he finished a close third.
Hammer began the program by taking Lonely Alone wire-to-wire in the Robert Luce Memorial Division of the Quaker State Trot, pulling away from Firestop, driven by Brandon Givens, to win by 6½ lengths in 2:07.1.
The brown filly’s first win in five starts this year and fourth lifetime win in 15 starts raised her earnings to $15,886 for owner John Nelson Perrin of Sagamore Hills, Ohio.
Brandon Givens of Seaford, Del., followed by guiding Evangline to her maiden win, scoring in 2:06.4 in the Quaker State Trot’s Moyer Auto Body Division.
She held off fast-closing Talking Scandal, driven by Dave Brickell, by one length in the first of five finishes by that margin or less.
Sylvanus King Jr. of New Holland owns and trains the bay filly that has earned $8,221 in 12 races after not going to the post as a two-year-old.
Three races later, Givens drew even with Hammer in the Charles “Buster” DiSalvo Trophy standings with his fifth win of the meet by sending Estella to the front at the quarter and staying there the rest of the way in the Cecilia “Ceci” Lizotte Memorial Division of the PASS Filly Trot.
She denied Lucky Shimm, driven by Brady Brown, a repeat of last year’s victory in a Quaker State Trot by three-fourths of a length, stopping the clock at 2:06.1.
Estella has four lifetime wins, three this year, and $22,273 in purses for lessee-trainer Bennie Magliochetti of Pottstown.
Hammer answered Givens’ challenge with back-to-back wins in the PASS Colt Trot to all but assure he will haul the DiSalvo Trophy down I-99 for the record 12th time.
The fan favorite can embellish his total of seven in five races Wednesday, including two when he will be driving.
According to the entry list for the meet’s final card, Givens will not be at the fair, leaving only Chris Shaw with a very remote chance of catching or beating out Hammer. Shaw would have to sweep his five races and have Hammer be shut out in order to retain the DiSalvo Trophy he won for the first time last year.
Shaw recorded his third win with a stirring stretch drive behind Isabella Carina in the Donald & Marty Urban Memorial Division of the PASS Filly Trot.
Missive, with Schoeffel in the bike, appeared on her way to victory until Isabella Carina found another gear in deep stretch to win by a half length in 2:05.2.
The brown filly has reward the Dunn Stable of Cochranton with $64,233 for 29 races. She has five of her 10 wins in 13 starts this year and has lowered her lifetime mark to 1:58.4.
Todd Schadel also became a triplewinner for the meet when Scarlett’s Legacy left from the No. 1 post and, because of two scratches, had to best only two rivals for the Dave Franson Memorial cooler blanket in the PASS Filly Trot.
She won by four lengths in 2:04.2 for owner Max Hempt of Carlisle, boosting her earnings to $25,664 for 23 races. All three of her wins have come on the 2015 fair circuit.
Wade was one of four drivers to visit the Driving Park winner’s circle for the first time.
In the Chester C. Chidboy Memorial Division of the PASS Filly Trot, Harold Brocklehurst kept Kimco Hall on the lead all the way to score in 2:06.1.
American Magpie challenged for driver Brady Brown but finished one length back as Kimco Hall doubled her win total with her first success in five starts this year.
The Bay Pond Racing Stable of Paoli owns Kimco Hall. The Brocklehurst-trained bay filly has two lifetime wins and $14,803 in purses for 10 starts.
Bobby Rougeaux sent Rt Forty Four Mag to the front in the first turn of the PASS Colt Trot‘s Clearfield County Fair Division, and the bay gelding owned by Brocious Racing Stable Inc. of Marion Center recorded her maiden win by six lengths in 2:07.2.
In the final race, Wayne Long scored with Bucks Jetta in 2:07.2 to claim the PASS Colt Trot’s Dunlap/Swales Memorial Division cooler blanket.
Wimborne Hanover, which had amassed $126,731 in 26 lifetime starts for Susan Daugherty, was on his way to a seventh consecutive fair circuit victory until Long took Bucks Jetta outside in the backstretch for the lead en route to a 1½-length win.
Wednesday’s eight races drew 41 entries that ballooned the total purses to $26,143. Post time will be at noon.
Tuesday’s results, with horse’s name, number in parenthesis, and jockey’s name:
QUAKER STATE THREE-YEAR-OLD TROT
Robert Luce Memorial Division (Purse $1,380) – 1. Lonely Alone (1), R. Hammer; 2. Firestop (2), B. Givens; 3. Do It Again Luke (3), A. Johnston; 4. Sweetjois (5), E. Neal; 5. Hoboken Harv (4), C. Shaw. TIME: 2:07.1.
Moyer Auto Body Division (Purse $1,380) – 1. Evangeline (1), B. Givens; 2. Talking Scandal (3), D. Brickell; 3. High Score Muscily (5), R. Hammer; 4. Sweetmary McAdoo (4), E. Neal; 5. Tsm Hot tamale (2), A. Johnston. TIME: 2:06.4.
PENNSYLVANIA SIRE STAKES THREE-YEAR-OLD FILLY TROT
Chester C. Chidboy Memorial Division (Purse $3,006) – 1. Kimco Hall (3), H. Brocklehurst; 2. American Magpie (5), B. Brown; 3. Yeahimsassy (4), E. Neal; 4. Massive Looker (1), R. Hammer. TIME: 2:06.1. Scratched: Byfleet Hanover (2).
Dave Franson Memorial Division (Purse $3,006) – 1. Scarlett’s Legacy (1), T. Schadel; 2. Tobiko (3), D. Wade; 3. My Sweetie Pie (5), E. Neal. TIME: 2:04.2 Scratched: Trustworthy Gal (2) and Devious (4).
Cecilia “Ceci” Lizotte Memorial Division (Purse $3,006) – 1. Estella (4), B. Givens; 2. Lucky Shimm (2), B. Brown; 3. HS Pearl (5), W. Long; 4. Mercer County (3), A. Johnston; 5. Usheretta K (1), T. Schadel. TIME: 2:06.1.
Donald & Marty Urban Memorial Division (Purse $3,056) – 1. Isabella Carina (6), C. Shaw; 2. Missive (3), S. Schoeffel; 3. Call Me Quietly (1), W. Lineweaver; 4. Peoplesayimnogood (4), R. Hammer; 5. Lady Foran Evening (5), T. Schadel; 6. Two Days Finale (2), B. Rougeaux. TIME: 2:05.2.
PENNSYLVANIA SIRE STAKES THREE-YEAR-OLD COLT TROT
Neeper’s Sweet Treats Division (Purse $2,452) – 1. Simeon (4), D. Wade; 2. Floodgait (2), W. Long; 3. Massive Winner (3), E. Neal; 4. Aloysius (5), B. Givens; 5. Abilliongazillion (1), B. Daugherty. TIME: 2:02 (ties track record for 3YO colt/gelding trotters).
Dawson & Chandler Ross Memorial Division (Purse $2,452) – 1. Snake Eyes (5), R. Hammer; 2. Nexus Lauxmont (1), W. Long; 3. Triple T Swinger (4), C. Shaw; 4. Jolly Madison (3), B. Brown; 5. Flaming Star (2), B. Givens. TIME: 2:08.
Michael “Mikey” Rowles Memorial Division (Purse $2,452) – 1. Silver Sierra (2), R. Hammer; 2. Marion Coca (4), B. Givens; 3. Whiskey Eyed (5), B. Brown; 4. Bambam Lauxmont (3), B. Rougeaux; 5. Altenator (1) T. Schadel. TIME: 2:04.2.
Clearfield County Fair Division (Purse $2,452) – 1. Rt Forty Four Mag (5), B. Rougeaux; 2. Hawaiian Beach bum (1), B. Givens; 3. Winning Catch (4), S. King Jr.; 4. Trained To Sweep (3), W. Long; 5. King Karma (2), C. Shaw. TIME: 2:07.2.
Dunlap/Swales Memorial Division (Purse $2,452) – 1. Bucks Jetta (1), W. Long; 2. Oregon Ridge (2), B. Givens; 3. Wimborne Hanover (3), B. Daugherty; 4. Police Navidad (5), S. Schoeffel; 5. Windsun Playboy (4), B. Rougeaux. TIME: 2:03.2.