Undefeated three-year-old pacing filly Snowonthepines headlined the weekend's Maine Sire Stakes action at First Tracks Cumberland.

The first $21,421 division on Saturday, July 25 was an early non-betting race, with Snowonthepines delivering another down-the-road performance. The daughter of Dudes The Man-Snow Cone A has not seen the back of a helmet through her first five sophomore starts and pushed her overall career win-streak to 14.

Scoring from pylon position, regular driver Kevin Switzer Jr. sent the fast filly right out to the front, right where she likes it, and proceeded to set moderate opening fractions of :30 and 1:02.1. Just Delightful (Ron Cushing) sat a comfortable pocket trip, and as the field went toward the 1:31.1 third panel, Joey Mosher tipped Heymickeyyousofine from fifth to improve his position. However, there was no catching Snowonthepines as she threw down a :28.2 final quarter to put the finishing touches on a 1:59.3 score, winning by a measured 1-1/2 lengths. Just Delightful finished second and Shes A Firefly (Nick Graffam) followed along in third.

Owned and bred by Leighton Property of Waterboro, Maine and trained by Marc Tardif, Snowonthepines increased her career earnings to $191,039.

In the second division for sophomore pacing fillies, Dudelookslikeafily put the field in her rearview mirror from post one and never looked back, giving trainer Tardiff, co-owner Leighton Property and sire Dudes The Mane a sweep of the day's stakes.

Aaron Hall handled the driving duties for this member of the Tardif Taskforce, setting opening splits of :29.1 and 1:01 before any outer flow had developed. With Ekorus (Nick Graffam) sitting a tight pocket, Andy Harrington moved Race Me Ireland from third to engage the pacesetter as the field hit the third station in 1:30.4. Down the lane, Dudelookslikeafily hit the afterburners and drew off by 4-1/2 lengths to win in 2:00. Ekorus finished second and Race Me Ireland was third.

Co-owned by Victoria Leighton, the winning filly out of Pan Taylor has earned all three of her wins during her eight-race sophomore season and now has lifetime earnings totalling $60,320.

On Saturday's regular, pari-mutuel program, drivers Nick Graffam and Kevin Switzer Jr. traded punches through the first eight races, with each taking four. Graffam came back to win two more to lead all drivers with six wins on the 13-race program.

Maine Sire Stakes trotters invaded Cumberland on Sunday, July 26, with all eyes upon co-track record holder Hayden as the three-year-old filly attempted to avenge her defeat in her most recent outing.

In the $21,811 sophomore filly trot division, it was evident that the 1-2 public choice was back to her previous form. Trainer/driver Gary Hall left swiftly from the outermost post six with the daughter of Cantab Fashion-AJs Baby and set a swift :29.3 opening panel, leaving three lengths back to the pocket-sitting Pembroke Lady (Heath Campbell). Hayden was then checked back to a more reasonable 1:01.1 midway marker, prompting John Nason to go first-over with I Think I Can. Through the 1:31.3 third panel, the pacesetting filly had allowed the aggressors to get within a half-length of her command; however, things changed dramatically around the final turn as Hall gave the filly her head and she scampered off to win by 7-3/4 lengths, leaving the rest of the field in her wake in the 2:01.3 mile. Our Last Quote (Mike Cushing) rallied for second and I Think I Can was third

Owned and bred by Stephen Hall of Newport, Maine, Hayden improved to three-for-four this season with Sunday's winning time just two-fifths of a second off of her previous track record performance. She now has five wins from 12 career starts with earnings totalling $97,727. Hayden paid $3 to win.

The other Maine Sire Stakes pari-mutuel dash on Sunday was for two-year-old trotting colts and geldings with undefeated U Know I Know emerging as that division’s top talent by virtue of his second consecutive victory.

Ken Watson drove the son of Whataworkout-Without Lindy to another wire-to-wire romp in 2:06.2, scoring by five open lengths in the $21,176 event. Leaving from post two, U Know I Know had 12 lengths on the field at the :31.4 opening panel, and after getting a breather to the half in 1:04, the 3-5 favourite Come On Charlie (Mark Athearn) had caught up to the colt past the 1:35.2 third station. Nonetheless, as soon as the leader heard hoof beats nearby, he responded with a :31 closing kick to grab a new time badge. Pembroke Zagursky (Heath Campbell) closed for second after an early miscue and Come On Charlie settled for third.

U Know I Know is trained by Lisa Watson for owner/breeder Barbara Lawson of Mendon, Massachusetts. He returned $4 to win.

Earlier in the day, before the pari-mutuel card, Wilder N Idy also recaptured some of his previous glory in the $20,821 division for three-year-old male trotters. Following a miscue in his last start, the son of To The Hilt-Wild Pine Princess returned to his home turf to try to improve his fortunes for Team Athearn.

Despite a bobble at the start and spotting the pacesetting Guss Workout (Heath Campbell) six lengths, Wilder N Idy regained composure for driver Mark Athearn and was able to get up in the final strides to prevail by three parts of a length in 2:01. Guss Workout, who set panels of 30, 1:00.2 and 1:30.4, settled for second. Trottinfortreasure (Kevin Switzer Jr.) rounded out the field.

Trained by Gretchen Athearn, Wilder N Idy has won 11 of his 13 career starts -- three-for-four this year -- with earnings of $184,502 for owner Patricia Leavitt of Buxton, Maine.

In Sunday's second $20,677 early Maine Sire Stakes for two-year-old trotting fillies, there was a battle of the Gary Hall stablemates right down to the wire with Mikella Bella overtaking the pacesetting Princess Caledonia after the latter filly went off-stride in mid-stretch.

Driven by Heath Campbell, Mikella Bella followed Princess Caledonia and Hal through panels clocked in :33.2, 1:07 and 1:38.4 before emerging victorious in 2:09.4. The other starter in the race, Cape Cod Friday (David Ingraham), was a non-factor after making multiple breaks.

Gary Hall shares ownership of the maiden-breaking filly by To The Hilt out of Knella Bella with James Kelley Jr. and Betsey Kelley of Millinocket, Maine and Kristina Hall of Newport, Maine.

Kevin Switzer Jr. led all drivers on Sunday's 13-race card with four trips to the winner's circle, raising his stats on the seasonal leaderboard to 93 wins. Nick Graffam sits second with 70 and Aaron Hall is third with 59. Gary Hall, Marc Tardif and Lisa Watson each enjoyed a pair of training wins on the program. Michelle Lefebvre leads all conditioners over the spring-summer meet with 54 wins, while Bob Marston is second with 43 heading into the final weekend of the campaign.

Racing resumes on Saturday, Aug. 1 for the final weekend of the spring-summer meet at First Tracks Cumberland. First post is 12:15 p.m.

(With files from Maine Sire Stakes)