Monday, August 13th, 2007
It was a Winters night in August at the Fair
By Gary R. Rasberry
Photo by Mark Pummell/The Daily Standard
Mark Winters rides in the sulky behind Woes Jet Filly, fourth from the left, during the third race of the night of harness racing at the Mercer County Fair on Sunday evening. Winters won the third race along with five more through the evening for a six-win night. Harness racing concludes tonight at the fair.
Sunday was a good day for Mark Winters.
Winters entered the winner's circle an unprecedented six times during Sunday's 11-race program at the Mercer County Fair.
Several of the races saw Winters penciled in to drive for another driver, while also taking horses he owned or trained to victory in both pace and trot events.
The day was bookended by Winters' wins. In the opening race he took filly Eww That Smell in a stakes race to the finish in 2:023/5. In the third, it was another filly pacer in Woes Jet Filly, which Winters trains, with a win in 2:03 flat.
Two races went by before Winters posted the hat trick, driving filly trotter Kris's Legacy to a victory in 2:032/5. Winters dashed to the back to drive pacer Sun Tan Nan in the seventh race, pacing the mile in 2:002/5. Winter's chance to win three straight after subbing for Bob Harper on Done It All did not go as planned as Done It All placed fourth. Ed Greeno drove trotter Call Me Valerie to the finish in 2:052/5.
Winters got the call on Zip and Zap in the ninth race, a condition pace. It looked like Plain Brown Rapper, with Kevin Hough in the sulky, was on pace to win before breaking stride on the backstretch of the second lap around. Winters took Zip and Zap to the front, holding off Steve Boroff's Firm One at the finish for Winters' fifth of the day.
In the finale, Winters was called on to drive pacer Sam's Jet Lady in a condition race. Two minutes and three seconds later, Winters was victorious again.
Winters' streak of wins overshadowed slightly the Grand Lake Trot, with Signature Series leader De Niro G looking to extend his lead. Owner-driver Dein Spriggs got his nine-year-old gelding out in front early and easily got his fifth win of the series, giving him 50 points, with the win in 2:02 flat.
Among the other winners of the day was Trent Bates, who drove Ken's Mystifier to victory in the Dan Beckstedt Pace. In the Francis Walker Trot, Luckie Dot Nella, with Jeff Kosters driving, had a lead of nearly 20 paces in the race, pulling away for the win.
Chad Peter posted the other non-Winters win of the day, taking the second race with trotter Message From Chip.
Harness racing concludes at the fair tonight with a 12-race card starting at 7 p.m. The Grand Lake Pace will take place with two heats of action scheduled. By GARY R. RASBERRY
grasberry@dailystandard.com
Sunday was a good day for Mark Winters.
Winters entered the winner's circle an unprecedented six times during Sunday's 11-race program at the Mercer County Fair.
Several of the races saw Winters penciled in to drive for another driver, while also taking horses he owned or trained to victory in both pace and trot events.
The day was bookended by Winters' wins. In the opening race he took filly Eww That Smell in a stakes race to the finish in 2:023/5. In the third, it was another filly pacer in Woes Jet Filly, which Winters trains, with a win in 2:03 flat.
Two races went by before Winters posted the hat trick, driving filly trotter Kris's Legacy to a victory in 2:032/5. Winters dashed to the back to drive pacer Sun Tan Nan in the seventh race, pacing the mile in 2:002/5. Winter's chance to win three straight after subbing for Bob Harper on Done It All did not go as planned as Done It All placed fourth. Ed Greeno drove trotter Call Me Valerie to the finish in 2:052/5.
Winters got the call on Zip and Zap in the ninth race, a condition pace. It looked like Plain Brown Rapper, with Kevin Hough in the sulky, was on pace to win before breaking stride on the backstretch of the second lap around. Winters took Zip and Zap to the front, holding off Steve Boroff's Firm One at the finish for Winters' fifth of the day.
In the finale, Winters was called on to drive pacer Sam's Jet Lady in a condition race. Two minutes and three seconds later, Winters was victorious again.
Winters' streak of wins overshadowed slightly the Grand Lake Trot, with Signature Series leader De Niro G looking to extend his lead. Owner-driver Dein Spriggs got his nine-year-old gelding out in front early and easily got his fifth win of the series, giving him 50 points, with the win in 2:02 flat.
Among the other winners of the day was Trent Bates, who drove Ken's Mystifier to victory in the Dan Beckstedt Pace. In the Francis Walker Trot, Luckie Dot Nella, with Jeff Kosters driving, had a lead of nearly 20 paces in the race, pulling away for the win.
Chad Peter posted the other non-Winters win of the day, taking the second race with trotter Message From Chip.
Harness racing concludes at the fair tonight with a 12-race card starting at 7 p.m. The Grand Lake Pace will take place with two heats of action scheduled.
