Published: July 03, 2008 10:23 am            

Racing wraps up at Jasper County Fair

NEWTON — Wednesday evening's twilight harness racing at the 138th Annual Jasper County Fair may have only featured a short six-race card, but the final day of the meet was certainly an eventful one.

The fourth race on Wednesday's card, the second $2,495 division of the Big 10 three-year-old colt stakes, featured the second sub-two minute mile of the week despite two horses and drivers hitting the deck as they tangled up at the back of the pack on the first backstretch.

Jerry Mims, Jr. behind OG's Tony Bowlinski and Curtis Rice in the bike for Mo Valley Stoner both took a tumble while the rest of the group rolled on and around the wreckage; Kelcey Perrymond and Rucker Place took the win in 1:59 4/5 minute.

Luckily, both horses involved in the accident walked away gingerly but under their own power, apparently escaping serious injury.

Both drivers were of course shaken up a bit, and Rice, who had driven a winner in the evening's first race, was eventually hauled off the infield in an ambulance to have a sore back X-rayed.

In that first race, the first $2,566 division of the Big 10 three-year-old filly pace, Rice was up on OGs Bonnie Scotch as she turned in her fastest career time by five seconds in a 2:02 1/5 mile.

That race came down to a four-wide fight to the finish, and Rice's pacer took it by a neck over Tom T. Tetrick and Common Creed, a winner of two races in her last three runs including June 24 at Martinsville over a field featuring none other than OGs Bonnie Scotch.

A photo finish in the second division gave the win by a nose to Amazing Marker, driven by Matthew Cox and trained by Erv Miller.

The Cole Muffler filly took down the mile in 2:01 for her second win and fastest time of the year in six starts; it was Cox's first time in the sulky for Amazing Marker as she actually won wire-to-wire with as much as a seven-length lead before holding off Thomas Graham, Jr. and Startrix Gram's challenge on the homestretch.

The evening's third race — the first division of three-year old pacing colts — saw Tommy Grant, Jr. drive Whatsittoyougrant to a fine 2:00 2/5 mile, taking the lead on the final backstretch.

J.D. Finn had Satellite Tuffy ahead for a good portion of the first half-mile, but a blistering 57-second second half was a bit more than Newton-owned gelding colt could handle.

Whatsittoyougrant and Rucker Place were both sired by Park Place.

An ambulance call not related to the wreck that happened during the fourth race held up the proceedings for a bit before Rucker Place's win, and the fifth race was punctuated by a car accident on the road running along the south edge of the track.

Two vehicles collided just as the fifth race, a unique running known as the Geriatric Trot, was getting started. One of the starters even broke stride when the impact sounded, although it appeared the accident wasn't serious and didn't cause any injuries.

Sixty-year-old Randall Finn drove six-year-old gelding Rusty Secret to victory in the Geriatric Trot, which only stipulates that drivers must be 60 or older and running a trotter.

Race announcer Carl Becker, after consulting with Jasper County Fair Speed Superintendent Tom Shinn, said the race was believed to be the first of its kind throughout the sport.

Rusty Secret had very little trouble winning in 2:02 3/5 with an impressive second half of 59 3/5-seconds.

Ray Gash, 72, was the oldest driver in the field and took third behind Wyomings Raider, a four-year old son of Wilson Wyoming.

Jared Finn concluded the card and the meet with a 2:01 drive of 11-year-old gelding Last Of Bella in the $1,000 pace for winners of over $35,000 lifetime.

After an early break, Last of Belly pushed his earnings for the season up to just under $10,000 and right around $323,000 for his 238-race, 51-win career with an easy victory.

Dustin White can be reached at 217-347-7151 ext. 123 or dustin.white@effinghamdailynews.com.

138th Annual Jasper County Fair

Wednesday's Results

Race One

Big 10 3-Year-Old Filly Pace

First Division

Purse: $2,566

1. OGs Bonnie Scotch (Curtis Rice); 2. Common Creed (Tom T. Tetrick); 3. Mrs. Grant Eight (Jeremy Cavitt); 4. Foxy B Skipalong (Lakendrick Goss); 5. Princess Palma (Kelcey Perrymond); 6. Fox Valley Minerva (Herman Wheeler); 7. R Little Jillybean (Randall Finn)

Time — :28 4/5, :59, 1:30 2/5, 2:02 1/5

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Race Two

Big 10 3-Year-Old Filly Pace

Second Division

Purse: $2,566

1. Amazing Marker (Matthew Cox); 2. Startrix Gram (Thomas Graham, Jr.); 3. Mrs Grant Nine (Tommy Grant, Jr.); 4. Final Desire (Kelcy Perrymond); 5. Apache Wells (Chad Bell); 6. Ritas Lady (Herman Wheeler); 7. Fox News Alert (Curtis Rice)

Time — :30, 1:02, 1:31 4/5, 2:01

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Race Three

Big 10 3-Year-Old Colt Pace

First Division

Purse: $2,495

1. Whatsittoyougrant (Tommy Grant, Jr.); 2. Satellite Tuffy (J.D. Finn); 3. My Star Danny (H. Joe Haught); 4. Remington Style (Tim Wilson, Jr.); 5. Boodro (Tom T. Tetrick); 6. A Better Place (William Alagna); 7. Ruin Time (Brian Cotton)

Time — :30, 1:03 2/5, 1:31 4/5, 2:00 2/5

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Race Four

Big 10 3-Year-Old Colt Pace

Second Division

Purse: $2,495

1. Rucker Place (Kelcey Perrymond); 2. Determine This (Matthew Cox); 3. Shakey Slim (J. Joe Haught); 4. Skidmore (Brian Cotton); 5. Histerio (Trenton Watson). DNF — OGs Tony Bowlinkski (Jerry Mims, Jr.); Mo Valley Stoner (Curtis Rice).

Time — :29 4/5, 59 4/5, 1:30 4/5, 1:59 4/5

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Race Five

Geriatric Trot

Drivers 60 and Older

Purse: $700

1. Rusty Secret (Randall Finn); 2. Showmeyourmuscles (W. Ralston); 3. Wyomings Rader (Ray Gash); 4. Riping Wind (Harry Parrish); 5. Little Dan (Freddie Patton, Sr.); 6. Fantastic Tori (Kermit Buddy Davis); 7. Crossword (Leo Beckman); 8. J L Callmebrother (Jim Kimball)

Time — :30, 1:01 3/5, 1:33, 2:02 3/5

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Race Six

Winners Over $35,000 Lifetime Pace

Purse: $1,000

1. Last of Bella (Jared Finn); 2. Solent Cam (Phillip Finn, Jr.); 3. Miss Fortune (Adam Knicley); 4. Cool Joe Ayds (Herman Wheeler); 5. Fox Valley Blitzen (Dane May); 6. Lyrics Delite (Ray Gash)

Time — :31, 1:00 1/5, 1:30 2/5, 2:01