Honesdale, PA --- On Monday (Aug. 5) at the Honesdale (PA) Fair, it was good to be the “King.” Or “Smilin’” Dave.
Veteran conditioner Syl King, Jr., who did not start his serious fair campaigning until the fifth stop at Gratz, vaulted into second place in the PA Fair Circuit standings with three wins Monday, giving him 16. One of the winners was driven by Dave Brickell, who paraded home to Victory Lane four times in all, solidifying his grip on second in the drivers column at 25 triumphs (in both cases behind Steve Schoeffel). And both horsemen guided their day’s charges to payoffs in the neighborhood of $10,000 in total, on a card when the northeastern PA track was not in its fastest shape.
King/Brickell combined to win the Quaker State trot on the card for 2-year-olds with Muscle Pump Queen, then split the 2-year-old trotting filly divisions. Brickell had the fastest clocking among all of the freshman trotters, 2:11.1 with three-time fair winner Bessie, an Equinox Bi miss he also owns and trains; owner-trainer King’s Isabella Hanover, guided by doubling driver Marc Mosher, was only two ticks slower, and the Yankee Glide filly flashed home in :30.
Among the colts, Whitey Lauxmont became the first freshman to win five times at the fairs, the Oh So White gelding toppling the previously-undefeated Ruiz for owner/trainer/driver Brickell. Brickell also guided divisional points leader Mr Weaver to victory for trainer John McMullen, Jr., co-owner with 6-year-old Owen McMullen; not to be outdone, Poppa’s Pick (King and driver Mosher) took the third division.
The three fastest pacing miles were produced by McArdle offspring, with both the quickest filly and colt clocking in at 2:05.3. The filly was TSM Soul Sister for driver Aaron Johnston (three wins), trainer Bob Krenitsky, Jr., and owner-breeder Ted Tomson; Johnston also handled the fastest colt, McArtic Ocean, who is trained by brother Shawn (two wins), owned by Aaron himself, and is perfect in three fair starts.
The Erv Miller stable, a day after Wicked Elphaba set a 2:01.2 track record for 3-year-old pacing fillies, again made its presence felt with a sidewheeling miss who was the third McArdle credit. Maevey Bean came home first for driver Marcus Miller and owner Patrick Quaid in 2:06.2.
And our favorite 16-month-old owner, Mason Shaw, saw his filly La Fiesta go atop the 2-year-old pacing filly point standings with a victory, just ahead of Hopeful Trust, whom he also owns. Mason’s uncle Chris guided La Fiesta and 2-year-old pacing colt winner Mister Chaos.
Finishing Lines: Tuesday is draw day at two Pennsylvania fairs: again at Honesdale, which will race its “two-day event” on Wednesday at 3 p.m. and on Thursday at noon, and at Waynesburg, which will race on Thursday and Friday at (please note) 10 a.m…. “It’s Good To Be The King,” if that phrase sounds familiar, comes from Mel Brooks’ movie History of the World Part I -- and Brooks actually released a rap version of the song that charted in 1981!