It took three dashes of Maine’s two-year-old colt and gelding pacers to complete that division’s visit to Topsham Fair, closing out the week-long meet on Saturday, Aug. 15, with track records falling by the wayside.

In the first $21,046 split of the Maine Sire Stakes, an early non-wagering race, Top Notch Treasure continued to build on his unblemished record. Scoring from the pylon position, driver Mike Stevenson defended his ground and sent the son to State Treasurer-Pembroke Perfect out on a wire-to-wire circuit of winning calls.

After setting early fractions of :30.1 and 1:01.2, the first signs of a challenge came from Agent James Bond (Kevin Switzer Jr.) as Top Notch Treasure hit the third station in 1:31.1. At the head of the stretch, the aggressor was within three parts of a length from the pacesetter, who dug in gamely and rolled down the Topsham lane to win by a measured length in 2:01. South St Justin (Nick Graffam) finished third.

Trained by Christopher Dubois for owner Steven Moskowitz Racing of Saratoga Springs, New York, Top Notch Treasure now has four straight victories -- all in Maine Sire Stakes action.

The second $21,283 division was yet another pillar-to-post romp by undefeated The Gucci Man and Kevin Switzer Jr., which ended with the colt breaking the divisional track record at the Topsham oval.

Setting swift early fractions of :28.1 and 1:00, the son of Dudes The Man-Gucci was stung to the opening panel by Painters Treasure (Andy Harrington), but settled into his preferred tempo-setting position. Following that early tussle that resulted in a 16-length gap to the rest of the pack, The Gucci Man set a comfortable 1:31.3 third panel with Painters Treasure still in a tight pocket. Through the final turn, Switzer Jr. let out a notch on his unbeaten freshman and cruised home in 2:00.3. 

The time of the mile was a new track record for two-year-old pacing colts and shaved nearly a second off the 2:01.2 record set in 2002 by Thats It Thats All and driver Jason Bartlett.

Owned, trained and bred by Marc Tardif of Waterboro, Maine, The Gucci Man improved to four-for-four in his Maine Sire Stakes career.

With The Gucci Man barred from the betting, Painters Treasure finished second but paid $3.60 as ‘the pari-mutual winner’ with Justcallmebuddy (Aaron Hall) finishing third.

In the third and final $21,046 division, a new winner emerged to claim his first pari-mutuel victory over the historic Topsham Fair surface.

When the gate sprung, Steev Oz Ten (Nick Graffam) briefly held pylon position then came Two Bolts (Mike Cushing), who took the early lead from post four. Duderrific and Dave Ingraham continued their push for the lead while parked through the :31.4 opening panel and ultimately landed on the point. The field was stretched out during that opening quarter but managed to tighten up a bit through the 1:02.1 midway marker. 

A precocious pocket-sitting Two Bolts allowed Duderrific to put three lengths on the field as he passed the third station in 1:31.4, with One Last Deal (Kevin Switzer Jr.) marching first-over around the final turn. As the pacers roared down the stretch, it was all Duderrific, a winner in 2:00.4, just a tick off the newly established track record. One Last Deal finished second and Two Bolts was third.

Trained by James Heap for owner/breeder M And L of Delaware of Wilmington, Delaware, the son of Dudes The Man-Count To Three made his fourth career start a winning one and returned $8.80 to his backers at the betting windows.

In other action, Vel Straight Out, trained by Tammy Sowers and driven by McGwire Sowers, etched her name in the Topsham Fair record books, equalling the older pacing mares record of 1:56.1, set and held by an immortal among the Maine distaff set, Sassy Sarah, who was piloted to the record in 2011 by a young Kevin Switzer Jr.

Topsham’s overall trotting record also fell on Saturday as Kevin Switzer Jr. guided Big Al M to a 1:58 victory for trainer Zachary Vickerson. The winning time eclipsed the 1:58.3 record that was established in 2012 by one of the most accomplished trotters to ever race in Maine, the millionaire Pembroke Prayer and driver Heath Campbell.

(With files from Maine Sires Stakes & Topsham Fair)