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Cameron McCown driving Petacular Rock and David Ward driving Big Booty Rudy head for the finish line during a harness race at the Mercer County Fair on Monday evening.
CELINA - Despite the dreary and drizzling skies on Monday, the Mercer County Fair's harness racing program went off without a hitch.
Throughout the 14 races, the fair paid out $106,662 in prize money, according to fair director Cara Muhlenkamp. The monies are funded through entry fees, sponsors and state dollars.
In the eighth race, Zip Tie, a three-year-old colt driven by Brandon Bates, placed first with a time of 1:57.1. Doo Wop Bobby, driven by Drew Neill, placed second with 1:57.2; Pound the Rock, Cameron McCown, third place, 1:47.4; High Splendor, Pierce Henry, fourth place, 1:58; and Jimmy L, Hank Le Van, fifth place, 2:03.1. Philippe L. Belanger, Celina, and Jeff A. Koester, Coldwater, own Zip Tie.
Brandon Gates driving Zip Tie edges ahead of Drew Neill driving Doo Wop Bobby for the win in race No. 8. Gates won $5,949 in prize money.
The other feature race of the day was the Trent Bates Memorial Pace, held in honor of the longtime driver and trainer. Brandon Bates drove JK's Champ to victory in 1:57.1. Big Booty Rudy, driven by David Ward, was runner-up.
Trent Bates died in 2013 at the fairgrounds track, said Ty Bates, Trent Bates' brother.
"He was willing to help everybody. He wasn't just a driver, he was a horseman. He loved horses and he got along good with (them)," Ty Bates said.
Bates Stables, which sponsored the race's blanket, is located in Rockford, Ty Bates said. He and his family train horses, but training colts is his favorite part.
Training horses can be pretty involved but "a lot of it is heart," Ty Bates said. "The ones (horses) that love it are the good ones. They have to be healthy. They have to be able to breathe … and have the system to resist the bugs that are out there."
He and his family start in October by breaking the horses, or teaching them to drive. They train through the winter and work their way up to faster paces. Most horses in the races are 2-3 years old and they retire when they turn 15 years old.
Hank Le Van driving Zavian sprints down the homestretch during race No. 7.
Rose Run Yakim gallops past the audience after winning the seventh race. Driver Emanuel Miller won $10,447 in prize money.
