Undefeated sophomore pacing star Massive Speed unleashed another dominant tour de force when he took his $24,218 division of the Maine Sire Stakes for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings on Tuesday, Aug. 26 at the Windsor Fair.

Leaving from pylon position, nothing stood in the way of the impressive son of Dudes The Man, except time and opportunity.  Regular pilot Aaron Hall took the pacer through opening fractions of :29.1 and 58.4 with Keenan Star (Heath Campbell) right on his helmet.

Past the half stablemate Cheatin Fate (Andy Harrington) was the first to start the outer flow, and by the 1:28.4 third panel had reached the pacesetter’s saddle pad.  From that point Massive Speed was given his head and the horse responded with a dramatic afterburner, showing his heels to the field.

Having unleashed a torrid :28.2 final quarter en route to a seven-length romp, they tripped the timer in 1:57.1 in the non-betting event, which was a new lifetime best for the divisional standout.

Trained by Marc Tardif and owned by Leighton Property, Massive Speed notched his eighth consecutive victory and 18th lifetime win.  His seasonal total shot up to $73,520, with his lifetime earnings of $256,609. He was bred in Maine by Laurie Harding.

Cheatin Fate finished second; Keenan Star was third.

The second division, contested for a purse of $23,906, was held on the wagering card as the opener, and witnessed the powerful Tardif Taskforce complete a sweep of the Pine Tree State-bred contests.

When the wings folded it was the 4-5 favourite Ridgecrest Dan and John Nason who took the early lead from post three.  From the :29 second opening panel through the :59.3 mid-way point Nason was in complete command.  However, Andy Harrington and Dawn Two Dark pulled at the half and then made a sweeping move down the backstretch to overtake the pacesetter and assume the point into a 1:29.2 third stanza.

Around the turn and down the stretch Nason had tipped Ridgecrest Dan to re-engage with Dawn Two Dark and was putting their once comfortable lead in jeopardy.  Under the shadow of the wire Dawn Two Dark did prevail by a whisker in 1:59 over the fast-closing Ridgecrest Dan.

Trained and owned by Marc Tardif, the son of Deuce Seelster paid $13.40 to win his third race of the season.  He was bred by Gary and Kristina Hall and now lays claim to $45,407 in seasonal earnings.

Gracies Tough Guy (Dave Ingraham) got up for third.

The Maine Sire Stakes continues at the Windsor Fair with all of the two- and three-year-old trotters on Friday, Aug. 29 to kick off the holiday weekend.  The two-year-old filly pacers arrive on the Saturday, Aug. 30 Windsor program, followed by the three-year-old filly pacers on Sunday, Aug. 31, and finally the two-year-old colt pacers to close out the long weekend on Monday, Sept. 1.

After the Maine Sire Stakes racing, emotions rose to the surface as a pair of accomplished veteran pacers rekindled the vigours of youth and dazzled in front of the fairground stands, just as they had on many occasions throughout their storied careers.

Following Rockaholic’s ($9.20) gate-to-wire win in 1:58.2 in Race 3, driver/trainer/owner Andy Harrington was eager to sing his 15-year-old pacer’s praises, but the words came haltingly as the reinsman’s heartfelt words caught in his throat.

“He’s such a fun horse, and even at 15 he still loves his job” Harrington said. “And this is our hometown fair, the whole family is here to celebrate with us. It’s a good time - especially for him - he deserves it”.

“Rock has so much to smile about tonight” Harrington’s wife, Sarah, later added. “It’s so bittersweet marking off another fair with a win as he says goodbye on his farewell tour. Gosh, we love you Rock and your love for racing. Thank you for the amazing memories”.

Rockaholic is a son of Rocknroll Hanover-Pacific Classic who has now amassed 46 career wins and lifetime earnings of $391,531 in 412 starts.

Under Maine Harness Racing Commission rules, 15-year-olds are allowed to compete at agricultural fair meets and in amateur driving completions, a rule that has allowed Rockaholic to continue to ply his trade, and to bring joy to the people who love him.

Pembroke Scorpio ($15.80) continued the elderly theme on Tuesday, securing a determined gate-to-wire score in 2:01.2 at the behest of driver David Ingraham. The regally bred 14-year-old son of Camluck (out of the Abercrombie mare Stylish Smile) elevated his lifetime bankroll to $232,006 while winning for the 53rd time in his career in 277 starts, with all wins but his maiden-breaking victory at Woodbine coming in his adoptive home state of Maine.

“Sometimes I’m at a loss for words” said a visibly emotional owner/trainer Patty Sumner, “I still get nervous when he races, but David takes good care of him. He’s such a special horse who has always had a special home. First with Valerie Grondin, who made sure that I bought him when it was time for him to find his next home. And here he’ll stay because he’s such a big part of the family.”

Windsor’s nine-day race meet continues on Thursday with a 3 p.m. post time and will continue on a daily basis through Labor Day.

(Maine Sire Stakes & Windsor Fair)