It was just another walk in the park for Snowonthepines as the unbeaten sophomore pacing filly continued to dominate her Maine Sires Stakes competition, winning her 17th race on Monday, Aug. 31 at Windsor Fair.

In the first $23,901 Maine Sires Stakes division carded as an early, non-wagering race, the Marc Tardiff trainee Snowonthepines went right to the top, but so did the upstart Heymickeyyousofine. While driver Kevin Switzer Jr. and Snowonthepines relinquished their seat on the engine to Heath Campbell and Heymickeyyousofine momentarily, Maine's top filly was right back out and rolling for a retake.

Following the brief give-and-go, Snowonthepines posted moderate early fractions of :29.1 and 1:01 with no right lines being pulled. Heymickeyyousofine sat a tight pocket trip through the 1:30.3 third station, with the rest of the field fading from contention.

As the lead pair rolled down the stretch, Snowonthepines never had an anxious moment and she tripped the timer in 1:59.2 for the her eighth seasonal victory. Heymickeyyousofine finished second by 1-1/2 lengths while Graceofspades and Dave Ingraham were third.

Snowonthepines, a daughter of Dudes The Man out of Snow Cone A, also won all nine of her races as a rookie and now has $225,500 in lifetime earnings for owner/breeder Leighton Property of Waterboro, Maine.

In the other $24,214 split for three-year-old pacing fillies, which was held on the regular program, Just Delightful was finally able to step out of the divisional leader’s shadow again, having finished second to Snowonthepines in her four previous outings.  

Co-owning driver Ron Cushing wasted little time moving his charge to the top, establishing a three-length lead by the time they hit the opening panel in a snappy :28.3. While reducing the tempo into a :59.1 half, the daughter of Western Maverick-Shesjustadelight N was on cruise control with Dudelookslikeafily and Aaron Hall sitting in the pocket through the 1:29 third panel.

With nothing but air and opportunity in front of her, Just Delightful hit her best stride down the Windsor homestretch with a :28.4 final quarter, leaving her rivals in a 5-1/2-length wake to score in 1:57.4, a new lifetime best. Dudelookslikeafily finished second and Ekorus, with Andy Harrington, was third.

Trained by Heidi Cushing, Just Delightful, who was also a Sires Stakes winner during the July 1 leg, earned her third lifetime victory to push her bankroll to $123,141. She is also owned by Stephen Downey of Quispamsis, N.B. and Anthony & Joseph Romanelli of Flushing, New York.

Just Delightful returned $2.60 as the 1-5 favourite.

(With files from Maine Sire Stakes)