Unless you are a 15-month-old owner named Mason Shaw.
In consecutive races, young Mr. Shaw saw two of his 2-year-old pacing fillies score victories that kept them 1-2 in their division’s point standings after eight fair events. Both winners were trained by Mason’s father Jason, and driven by uncle Chris, who would later add a third sulky score for the day.
First, and faster, was the Western Terror miss La Fiesta, who, after opening her fair campaign with four straight deuces, now has won two in a row, this one a pocketrallying tally in 2:05.1. Fifteen minutes later stablemate Hopeful Trust, aQuik Pulse Mindale lass, posted her fourth fair win, tops in that grouping, with a move to the lead at the half that carried her on to an open-length victory.
The team of driver Cory Kreiser and trainer Robert Krenitsky, Jr. took down the two fastest divisions, both with horses winning their second straight fair start. Equaling the fastest mile of the day with a 2:04 clocking was the Dragon Againfilly TSM Maija Star, who followed the move of Bellas Quik and then wore down that rival late for owner/breeder Ted Tomson. Allstar Desire made every pole a winning one in 2:04.3 for Kreiser/Krenitsky Jr., sire Four Starzzz Shark, and owners Robert and Julie Krenitsky. Both Kreiser/Krenitsky Jr. fillies took new marks.
The other 2:04 mile Tuesday came from the Western Terror gelding Spy The Lie, a crushing 12 length winner for doubling trainer/driver Steve Schoeffel, and owners Virginia and Kathy Schoeffel (who also visited Victory Lane twice), James Nelson and Marion Schilling. Spy The Lie is undefeated after three visits to the fairs.
Trainer Krenitsky Jr. had a third win, and owner/breeder Tomson a second, when their altered son of Dragon Again, TSM Wulf Poof Toof (the favorite horse of all PA fair announcers), caught Heat Of A Dragon in the last step for pilot Aaron Johnston, who had two driving wins on a day where his brother Shawn had two training tallies. Slightly less photogenic here was Heat Of A Dragon, who determinedly overcame an early break and a raw trip to be in winning position in the lane, just to succumb by the narrowest of margins -- but retaining his status atop the 2-year-old pacing colt fair point standings.
Finishing Lines: The 3-year-olds take center stage at Clearfield during the second half of the meet, with the trotters rolling out Wednesday and the pacers lowering the curtain Thursday…Regular readers of this column may remember our evaluation of this year’s 2-year-old colt trotting fair crop as a solid one; this was further reinforced Tuesday afternoon at The Meadows, where recent fair winners Fly Past Hanover ($87.40 with Hall of Famer Dick Stillings) and Uriel ($12.80 for Hall of Famer Dave Palone and red-hot trainer Syl King, Jr.) took down divisions of a Pennsylvania Stallion Series event.