Snowonthepines, the sensational three-year-old Maine-bred pacing filly, has continued her tour de force by crushing her opponents in her first race of the year on Saturday, June 13 at First Tracks Cumberland.

Winning all nine of her races at two, including the $119,371 Maine Sire Stakes final, the daughter of Dudes The Man-Snow Cone A was last year’s undisputed Maine two-year-old pacing filly champion. Now, it appears that the Marc Tardif-trained sophomore will be just as dangerous to her competition this year.

Regular driver Kevin Switzer Jr., who won five races on the card, drove the prohibitive 1-9 favourite from the outside post five in a $21,124 division of the opening leg of the Maine Sire Stakes for three-year-old pacing fillies. 

As expected, when the wings folded, Snowonthepines was sent out for an early lead and hit the first panel in :29.4. She continued to set the tempo into a 1:00.4 half and with just Ekorus (Nick Graffam) tipping to the outside from mid-field through a 1:30.1 third stanza. But it was already too late for the chasers as the undefeated filly had six lengths on the field at the head of the stretch and increased that advantage to nine by the time she tripped the timer in 1:59. Ekorus finished second and Perfectly Lovely (Aaron Hall), who sat in the pocket throughout the entire mile, hung on for third.

Owned and bred by Leighton Property of Waterboro, Maine, Snowonthepines has now earned $147,350 in her 10-win career. 

Snowonthepines paid just $2.20 to win.

Switzer also scored with Cruizin The Night ($4.60), Foxy Trottin Stick ($13.20), Power Mitt ($7) and Jet Wills ($2.20). The reinsman is 104-for-542 this season and is three wins away from reaching 4,000.

Perhaps setting the stage for his ‘big filly,’ Tardif also won the first $21,124 division with Dudelookslikeafily in gate-to-wire fashion.

Driver Aaron Hall sent the daughter of Dudes The Man-Pan Taylor right to the top and never looked back as the filly picked up her first stakes victory and a new lifetime mark of 1:59.3. Graceofspades (Dave Ingraham) finished 1-1/2 lengths behind in second and Race Me Ireland (Andy Harrington) was third.

Owned by Leighton Property and Victoria Leighton of Waterboro, Dudelookslikeafily has now won two (consecutive) races from four sophomore starts after a winless nine-race freshman season, bumping her bankroll to $38,910. 

She returned $5.20 to win.

The Pine Tree State-bred action marks the first round of the Maine Sire Stakes program, which is the start of the 18-week season of New England’s premier harness racing showcase. Looking ahead, Wednesday’s Bangor program hosts the three-year-old colt pacers, followed by the three-year-old trotters on Sunday.

The diminutive Little Macabee ($21) notched another victory in an $8,056 conditioned contest. The 12-year-old, who has battled to 47 career wins from 287 starts, scored by a neck in 2:00.4 for driver Dave Ingraham, trainer Eric Bickmore, and owner Maryann Tompkins. Tompkins remarked of the scrappy veteran, "He has the heart of a lion. I just love him."

(With files from Maine Sire Stakes & First Tracks Cumberland)