The Pine Tree State’s three-year-old pacers visited Topsham Fair in Topsham, Maine on Tuesday, Aug. 6 and Wednesday, Aug. 7 to compete in four $22,000-plus divisions of the Maine Sire Stakes. Several of the series’ top performers continued their winning ways, with their closest competitors nipping at their respective heels during the afternoon harness racing.

In the opener on Tuesday, the fan favourite, Gowestyounggrace, took her division for sophomore pacing fillies, dubbed the Jake Phipps Memorial, leading wire to wire.

Scoring from pylon position, driver Dave Ingraham sent the daughter of Western Maverick out to the top to protect his strategic inside location and set an opening quarter of :31.1. Gowestyounggrace, the 3-5 favourite, led the field in single file post position order through an unchanged half in 1:02.1 with Pembroke Red (Heath Campbell) tight to her driver’s helmet. Those two gained some separation from the field past the 1:33 expertly rated third panel, with Pembroke Red tipping out in the lane to take a shot at the pacesetter. With a :29.2 final quarter, Gowestyounggrace tripped the Topsham timer in 2:02.2, holding off the late closer by 1-1/4 lengths. Ghost Of You (Kevin Switzer Jr.) was third.

Trained by Fred Ward Jr., who also co-owns and bred the filly with his wife Sharon Ward, Gowestyounggrace earned her fourth win in a row. She paid $3.40 to win. The victory was her 10th lifetime and pushed her bankroll to $117,759.

In the second division for three-year-old filly pacers, the 2-5 favourite Whos Perfect did what was expected of her by the betting public as well.

Driver Heath Campbell sent the daughter of Western Maverick out into the opening scramble, allowing the swift Mrs Foxy Roxy (Walter Case Jr.) to take command by the eighth pole in the sharp first turn. Before the 30-second opening quarter, Campbell was out and re-taking the lead with Whos Perfect and the pair settled into a more modest 1:01.3 half-mile tempo. My Sweet Revenge (Switzer) moved first-over into the 1:32.2 third panel, which caused a further hastening of the racing rhythm.

Announcer Mike Sweeney exclaimed, “Throw a blanket over the field” as the pacers turned for home. Whos Perfect was working hard to hold off the late charge of My Sweet Revenge with Mrs Foxy Roxy still glued to the pacesetter’s helmet. At the wire, Campbell and Whos Perfect got the call, winning in 2:02.3 by half a length over My Sweet Revenge. Mrs Foxy Roxy was third

Trained by Valerie Grondin for breeder Lynn-Marie Plouffe and co-owners Dick and Patty McKeen, Whos Perfect earned her third win of the season from seven starts, paying $2.80. A seven-time career winner, she has now banked $119,530.

On Wednesday, it was the boys' turn on the Topsham stage for two divisions of Maine Sire Stakes for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings, with the several members of the Tardif Taskforce starring in the show.

In the first division, trainer Marc Tardiff's Arts Flight delivered another stakes score for breeder Plouffe.

Whats For Suppaah (Aaron Hall) protected his inside starting position with 6-5 favourite Justcallmebuck (Heath Campbell) retaining his two-hole spot. Andy Harrington ducked 2-1 second choice Arts Flight in third, but tipped out down the backstretch to take command into a :29.4 opening panel. No movement occurred through a 1:00.3 half and 1:30.4 third stanza as Arts Flight showed the way relatively unfettered.  At the head of the stretch, Whats For Suppaah pulled alongside the leader and made it a horse race down through the lane. The pair hit the wire together with Arts Flight prevailing by three parts of a length in 2:00. Justcallmebuck finished third in the event knowned as the Scott Brewer Memorial.

The Artistic Fella colt earned his third win in seven starts this year after a winless rookie campaign and is just shy of $40,000 in earnings. He paid $6.60 on a $2 win ticket. 

Six male pacers entered the second division, with all eyes fixed upon the seasonally unbeaten Tardiff trainee Two Fold Cold (pictured above), the 2-5 favourite from post three.

When the gate sprung, stablemate Wess Challenge (Case) scurried out for the lead in the short first turn. Driver Kevin Switzer Jr. pushed Two Fold Cold up to the point before the :29.2 opening panel and it was all smooth sailing from there. While things were quiet leading into the 1:01 half, Hesjustadelight (Ron Cushing) pulled first-over heading into a 1:30.2 third panel with his eyes on the prize.  However, Switzer and Two Fold Cold would have none of it as the challenge was met with more speed as those two paced away from the field in hand to score in 1:59.4 by 2-3/4 lengths. Wess Challenge finished second and Hesjustadelight was third in the Fred Sr. and Marlene Ward Memorial event.

Owned and trained by Tardiff, the son of Deuce Seelster was bred by Gary and Kristina Hall and is undefeated in five starts this year. Two Fold Cold now has nine wins from 14 career starts and $90,680 in earnings. He paid $2.80 to win.

The Maine Sire Stakes continues at Topsham with all four divisions of two and three-year-old trotters racing on Saturday, Aug. 10. The Maine-bred action continues the following week at the Skowhegan Fair, from Aug. 12-17.

(With files from Maine Sire Stakes)