He's one of the winningest horses in North America this year. And he's also one of the hottest.

Cool Man Dude pushed his current win streak to six with a tally in the finale on Friday, June 19 at Bangor Raceway. With regular pilot Aaron Hall at the controls, 1-9 favourite Cool Man Dude made every call a winning one for the fifth straight time in extending his win streak to a half dozen. After clearing to the top in a 28 second opener, Hal sat chilly with Cool Man Dude through fractions of :58.3 and 1:27.4 before finishing it off in :29.1 for the 1:57 score. 

he win was the fifth consecutive score for the Steven Vafiades trainee who was claimed for $6,000 USD on April 25 by owners Michael and Scott McGee and has since powerfully risen through Bangor’s claiming ranks to become the current master the optional $15,000 USD set.

Cool Man Dude, an eight-year-old son of Western Vintage-Darriwillian Girl trained by Steven Vafiades and owned by Scott & Michael McGee of West Gardiner, Me., won for the 41st time in his career and 13th time this season — tying him for second with trotter Oh Look Magic. Popular claiming pacer Shine A Light currently leads North America with 15 wins in 2026. 

In other Bangor news, driver Heath Campbell scored three wins of his own on Friday, cementing his spot atop the Bangor Raceway leaderboard with 32 top tallies. Hall’s hat trick elevated him into second place on the leaders listing, with his 23 seasonal scores currently trumping McGwire Sowers’ 23.

Live harness racing at Bangor Raceway during the month of June will be conducted on  a two-day-per-week schedule with the Wednesday cards going to post at 3 p.m. (EDT) and the brand new Friday matinee performances kicking off at 12:10 p.m.

Wednesday’s performance will feature the 2026 Bangor debut of the three-year-old filly pacing division of the Maine Sire Stakes program. Twin splits featuring purses in excess of $15,000 USD per are expected to headline the mid-afternoon card.

Bangor’s traditionally well-attended Sunday programs will be on hiatus until the month of July.

(with files from Bangor; photo from a previous victory)