Archie Buford Takes Driver's Championship, Roshun Trigg Trainer Title

Buford finished with 63 points taking 11 wins during the week and finishing second three times in his 14 drives. Second place went to Freddie Patton Jr. and third to Matthew Avenatti.

Trigg sent 20 horses to the post this week as trainer and finished with 13 victories, six seconds and one fourth.

The third race of the day provided not one, but two dead heats in the same race.

Coach Loman took the lead while Pretty Iris stood in second. Dontinvitemein took over the lead on the inside while Coach Loman was parked outside. Dontinvitemein led by 1 1/2 at the half and was still there on the turn. Coming down the homestretch, the two battled and ended in a deadheat for the victory.

What's even more impressire, Dontinvitemein was driven by Archie Buford while Coach Loman was driven by Freddie Patton Jr., the two fighting for the driver's championship.

The deadheat was timed in 1:58 2/5, the fastest mile of the week at the fair. Also in the race, Drivin Me Crazy and Mykonos finished in a deadheat for sixth. It was only the fifth time in the fair's history there was a deadheat for first place. That's with over 2,500 races contested in the history of the fair.

In the opening race of the day, the Roshun Trigg trained horse, Ole Freight Shaker, claimed victory. Driver Archie Buford picked up his eighth win of the week in the Topline 2-Year-Old Pace.

Late Odds was first out but Ole Freight Shaker came on to quickly take over and led by a length and a half. At the three quarter mile marker, Late Odds challenged Ole Freight but Ole Freight kept the lead and came down the homestretch to win in 2:01 2/5. The victory gave Trigg his 11th win as a trainer this week at the Effingham County Fair.

The second race, the Topline 3-Year-Old & Up Trot, was a three-wide field coming to the wire. Don't Like School took the early lead and Justa Nother Bag came alongside. Don't Like School led at the half. But here came Justa Nother Bag and Primed N Powerful down the stretch. The three-wide field provided an exciting finish as Justa Nother  Bag, driven by Wyatt Avenatti, took the win in 2:02 followed by Don't Like School and Primed N Powerful.

In the fourth race, the Topline 2-Year-Old Trot, Division 1, Electric Mist, driven by Clay Simpson, was the easy winner as several in the field went offstride.

Electric Mist ended up crushing the field by 25 lengths in 2:08.

The No. 5 race went to Balance Bean, who had finished fourth on Tuesday. Owned and trained by Jacob Roedl of Edgewood and driven by Cornelius Cavett, Balance Bean moved up on the outside to lead by a length and a half at the start. Scat Pack was out and rolling to challenge for the lead at the half. Balance Bean was on the inside and Scat Pack on the outside heading around the final turn.

Balance Bean ended up with its first victory in 2:12 4/5.

Miss Good Goobly Goo produced the 12th trainer's win of the week for Roshun Trigg and the ninth driver's victory for Buford.

Ms Good Goobly Goo was the immediate leader by two lengths. Wild Eyed Girl moved from third to second for Randall Finn, the winningest driver ever at the Effingham County Fair. Wild Eyed Girl took the lead by a neck on the backstretch but Ms Good Goobly Goo ended up taking the victory by a neck in 2:08 1/5.

Randall Finn proved again why he's the winningest driver at the Effingham County Fair. In the seventh race, the Maiden Pace AE: Nonwinners $2,500 in '21, Division 2, Finn was behind Sharia.

Illustrate was the first out for the lead and then three lined up for the lead. Prettyfaceuglyways, with Buford in the sulky, moved from third to second to first and was headed down the homestretch when Sharia came charging up. The race ended in a photo finish and Sharia finished with the victory by a nose in 2:01 4/5.

Finn, 73 years old, was only 20 years old when he won his first victory at the Effingham County Fair in 1968 and now has 121 wins. He has won the driver's championship, first in 1974, and claimed 10 titles at Altamont.

Harold Finn Jr., owner, trainer and driver from Newton, claimed the next race, the Maiden Pace AE: Nonwinners $2,500 in '21, Division 3.

Rocking Retirement took the lead and held it wire-to-wire opening up a five length lead to win in 2:01 2/5.

Buford came up with his 11th win of the week and the 13th victory for Trigg in the Maiden Pace AE: Nonwinners $2,500 in '21.

Ole Swamp Master stepped out to the lead for Buford. Ole Swamp Master was supposed to be at the fair earlier in the week but due to a trailer breaking down didn't make it until Friday.

Ole Master captured the win in 2:01.

In the 10th race of the day, E L Big Game was first out but went off stride. Rocking Rs Jesse broke and Lubbock Holiday was the leader. But Rocking Rs Jesse came up on the ouside and was side-by-side at the turn with Lubbock Holiday and took the victory.

Owned by Brian and Candy Herzog of Beeche rcity, Rocking Rs Jesse was taken to the 2:17 win by Freddie Parton Jr. who finished in second in the driver's standings.

The final race of the fair came in the Open COlt/Gelding Pace. He Gone Jack was first out fot Matthew Avenatti but Dinky Dune moved fast on the outside to take the lead with a quarter of a mile to go.

Dinky Dune claimed the 1:31 4/5 win for trainer and driver Dane May of Nweton. He Gone Jack, trained by Ray Hanna of Altamont finished second.

Friday's Results

Race One

Topline 2-Year-Old Pace

Total Purse: $2,500

1. Ole Freight Shaker (Archie Buford), 2. Late Odds (Matthew Avenatti), 3. Preachersaynomore (Archie Buford), 4. Instantaneious Cash (Wyatt Avenatti), 5. Apple Of His Eye (Jamaica Patton), 6. Urarealleapoffaith (Michael Knicley)

Time -- :30 1/5, 1:01 1/5, 1:32 2/5, 2:01 2/5.

Race Two

Topline 3-Year-Old Trot

Total Purse: $2,500

1. Justa Nother Bag (Wyatt Avenatti), 2. Don't Like School (Cornelius Cavett), 3. Primed N Powerful (Jamaica Patton), 4. Lous Flashy Dancer (Travis Seekman), 5. Joe Joes Violet (Chris Brown), 6. Fox Valley Elicit (Darla Martin Lohman)

 Time -- :30 2/5, 1:01, 1:32 1/5, 2:02.

Race Three

Topline 3-Year-Old & Up Pace

Total Purse: $2,500

Deadhit 1. Dontinvitemein (Archie Buford), Coach Lohman (Freddie Patton Jr.), 3. Pretty Iris, 4. Grand Ole Party, 5. Skip Jive (Stan Swisher), Deadheat 6. Mykonos (Travis Seekman), Drivin Me Crazy (Wyatt Avenatti)

Time -- :29 1/5, :58 3/5, 1:29 1/5, 1:58 2/5.

Race Four

Topline 2-Year-Old Trot, Division 1

Total Purse: $1,250

1. 1. Electric Mist (Clay Simpson), 2. Fame To Claim (Trenton Watson), 3. Lady Maribelle (Matthew Avenatti), 4. Marcia Lynn (Jamaica Patton)

Time -- :29 1/5, :58 3/5, 1:29 1/5, 1:58 2/5.

Race Five

Topline 2-Year-Old Trot, Division 2

Total Purse: $1,250

1. 1. Balance Bean (Cornelius Cavett), 2. Scat Pack (Archie Buford), 3. Tucked Away (Matthew Avenatti), 4. Soul Snatcher (Jamaica Patton)

Time -- :33 2/5, 1:06 3/5, 1:39 2/5, 2:12 4/5.

Race Six

Maiden Pace AE: Nonwinners $2,500 in '21, Division 1

Total Purse: $1,225

1. Ms Good Goobly Goo (Archie Buford), 2. Wild Eyed Girl (Randall Finn), 3. Partyatthebeach (Wyatt Avenatti), 4. I'm Cny Iyg (Harold Finn, Jr.), 5. Keli's Cullen (Bobby Crivokapich Jr.)

Time -- :33, 1:06 1/2, 1:38 2/5, 2:08 1/5.

Race Seven

Maiden Pace AE: Nonwinners $2,500 in '21, Division 2

Total Purse: $1,245

1. Sharia (Randall Finn), 2. Prettyfaceuglyways (Archie Buford), 3. Te's Smoothas Silk (Travis Seekman), 4. Illustrate (Freddie Patton Jr.), 5. Penthousepalace (Wyatt Avenatti)

Scratched -- Shabazz

Time -- :29 3/5, :59 3/5, 1:31 1/5, 2:01 4/5.

Race Eight

Maiden Pace AE: Nonwinners $2,500 in '21, Division 3

Total Purse: $1,245

1. Rocking Retirement (Harold FInn Jr.), 2. Sage N Fra (Darla Maritn Lohman), 3. Overflow (Freddie Patton Jr.), 4. Ara Dash (Cornelius Cavett), 5. Its A Virgin (Wayne Weaver), 6. Gentle Bens Money (Cornelius Cavett)

Time -- :30, 1:01 3/5, 1:32 1/5, 2:01 2/5.

Race Nine

Maiden Pace AE: Nonwinners $2,500 in  '21, Division 4

Total Purse: $1,245

1.Ole Swamp Master (Archie Buford), 2. Cuzberttoldmeso (Matthew Avenatti), 3. L L Gram (Thomas Graham Jr.), 4. For-de-france (Wyatt Avenatti), 5. Shark Reality (Wayne Weaver), 6. Fast Track (Merle Finn Jr.)

Time -- :29, :59 2/5, 1:31 4/5, 2:01.

Race 10

Open Maiden Trot AE: ICF Nonwinners 2

Total Purse: $1,500

1. 1. Rocking Rs Jesse (Freddie Parton Jr.), 2. Lubbock Holiday (Trenton Watson), 3. E L Big Game (Jordan Patton)

Time -- :36 1/5, 1:09 4/5, 1:44 1/5, 2:17.

Race 11

Open Colt/Gelding Pace

Total Purse: $1,500

1. Dinky Dune (Dane May), 2. He Gone Jack (Matthew Avenatti), 3. Gabe Henry (Thomas Graham Jr.)

Time -- :30 2/5, 1:01 4/5, 1:31 4/5, 1:59 3/5.