Maine Sire Stakes two and three-year-old trotters found their Topsham Fair stop on Wednesday, Aug. 12 much to their liking.   Among the group of diagonally-gaited Standardbreds is the current sophomore filly leader, Hayden, who has won five of her six seasonal outings, as well as freshman gelding U Know I Know, who is now a perfect four-for-four to start his season.

All four divisions of the Maine Sire Stakes were held before the regular card at Topsham.

In the $21,022 division for three-year-old fillies, Hayden continued to show her classmates that she is the sharpest kid in school. Trainer/driver Gary Hall and Hayden were stretched out to the :31 opening panel by the inside-positioned Race Me Boomer (Andy Harrington). Parked the opening panel, the daughter of Cantab Fashion-AJs Baby ultimately took command and sprinted away by a 2-3/4-length margin at the 1:01.1 midway point. Our Last Quote (Mike Cushing) pulled out from third behind the pocket-sitting Race Me Boomer as the field hit the more modest 1:32.2 third station but was no match for the front-striding filly. With a nice breather under her girth, Hayden trotted home by a measured length to score in 2:02.4 over the Topsham stone dust. Race Me Boomer finished second and Our Last Quote was third. A homebred filly for Stephen Hall of Newport, Maine, Hayden has won half of her 14 career starts with earnings just shy of $120,000.

In the $20,882 two-year-old male trotting division, Ken Watson steered undefeated U Know I Know to his fourth consecutive win in 2:05.1, prevailing by 3-1/4 lengths over Pembroke Zagursky (Heath Campbell). The winner's stablemate, Race Me Bruno (Wally Watson), finished a distant third in the five-horse field. Lisa Watson trains the Whataworkout-Without Lindy gelding, who has earned $42,449 to date, for owner/breeder Barbara Lawson.

Hall swept the filly events with Princess Caledonia leading every step of the way to win the $20,390 freshman division easily in 2:05 by 2-1/2 lengths, improving to three-for-four. Hall co-owns the daughter of To The Hilt-Wild Pine Princess with Kristina Hall of Newport, Maine along with James Kelley Jr. and Betsey Kelley of Millinocket, Maine. Cape Cod Friday (Dave Ingraham) stayed close to the action and finished second while the winner's stablemate, Mikella Belle (Heath Campbell), rounded out the field after making an early miscue.

Princess Calendonia's full brother Wilder N Idy earned his fourth Maine Sire Stakes win of the season in six outings, taking the $20,844 sophomore male division for the Athearns -- driver Mark and trainer Gretchen. Driver Heath Campbell sent his charge, Guss Workout, out to the top with Wilder N Idy dropping in the pocket as the pair left the other participants well behind in a :31.4 opening panel. There were no changes as Guss Workout set a 1:03.1 half; however, as the pacesetters passed the third station in 1:34.1, Athearn had tipped Wilder N Idy to the outside to challenge the leader. By the head of the stretch, the aggressor was just a half-length behind the point man. Down the stretch, they fought until the wire, where Wilder N Idy got up in the final strides to prevail by a quarter-length in 2:03 over Guss Workout. Trottinfortreasure (Aaron Hall) finished a distant third. Patricia Leavitt of Buxton, Maine owns the To The Hilt-Wild Pine Princess gelding, who went over $200,000 in lifetime earnings with his 12th win in 15 starts.

(With files from Maine Sire Stakes; photo of Hayden winning on Aug. 12)