Driver Kevin Switzer Jr. pulled off a clean sweep of the Maine Sire Stakes on Friday, July 25 at First Tracks Cumberland en route to winning five races over the course of the entire 12-race program.

In the featured pair of $15,922 divisions of the Maine Sire Stakes for two-year-old pacing colts and geldings, all eyes were upon the unbeaten Real Horrorshow as the freshman standout was looking for his third straight victory in his Pine Tree state-bred division. The son of Dudes The Man and Pretty Eyes did not disappoint as he sprung from the gate and never looked back.

Arriving at the opening station in :29.3, followers Daytoremember (Heath Campbell) and Wowzah Clousah (Mike Cushing) scurried to keep up the pace from their respective second and third positions. Heading into the softer 1:01.1 half-mile marker, the parked out Dudes The Jet (McGwire Sowers) had ranged his way up to challenge in second. Down the backstretch, Real Horrorshow let out a notch with Daytoremember right on his helmet, while Dudes The Jet succumbed to that good Downeast air as they raced to three-quarters in 1:30.2. Rolling down the stretch, Daytoremember made it a horse race as he stayed within a few steps of the pacesetter. However, Real Horrorshow showed that he is the real thing as he stayed focused and paced to a new lifetime mark of 1:59.1, winning by 1-1/2 lengths. Wowzah Clousah finished third.

Bred in Maine by Luke and Patricia Varnum, Real Horrorshow is trained by Kevin Switzer Sr. for owners KDK Standardbreds, Kathleen Mofield and Anthony Sivik Jr.

He paid $2.20 as the 1-9 favourite. 

In the other division, trainer Marc Tardif came loaded for bear and proceeded to hit the Trifecta topped by Ghost Of Winter.

Ghost Of Winter took the field to the :29.4 opening panel, with Deuces Red (Nick Graffam) parked on the outside of 3-5 favourite Nuh Uh (Aaron Hall). Past the 1:00.4 midway point, not much changed, and by the 1:31 third panel, Deuces Red was still parked with his driver pulling the earplugs. Around the final turn, Quint Asper (Andy Harrington) went three-wide around stalling cover to engage the leaders. Down the lane, Ghost Of Winter drifted out a bit allowing Nuh Uh up the inside and the pair battled down the stretch. In the shadow of the wire, the pacesetter got a little steppy but managed to prevail by a scant quarter-length in 2:01.4 over Nuh Uh while their stablemate, Silence Ofdarkness (McGwire Sowers), got up for third.

Bred in Maine by Kristina Hall, Ghost Of Winter is owned by Leighton Property. The son of Deuce Seelster and Justcallmerosie picked up his maiden victory in his third start. 

He paid $5 to win as the 3-2 second choice.

(With files from First Tracks Cumberland; photo of Real Horrorshow winning on July 25)