Ontario-sired Wholly Louy won the 18th annual Paul Bunyan Invitational, defeating pacesetter Mr Nice Guy and Governor's Plate runner-up Firethorn, on Saturday night at Bangor Raceway.

Mr Nice Guy and Kevin Switzer carved out fractions of :26.4, :56.1 and 1:24.4 before being overtaken by Wholly Louy and Gary Mosher in the stretch. The eight-year-old Camluck-By Desire gelding won by one and a quarter lengths in 1:54.4. Firethorn, driven by John MacDonald, came on for third.

Joseph Nelson trains the winner for Michele Nelson of Temple, Maine.

Wholly Louy paid $15.40 to win as the 6-1 second choice. The victory was his seventh of the year in 22 starts and 48th lifetime. The lion's share of the $25,000 purse pushed his bankroll to $873,152.

Favourite Pembroke Prayer went wire-to-wire to win the $8,000 John Hopkins Memorial Trot by four lengths in 1:58.2 for driver Heath Campbell, trainer Valerie Grondin, and owners Mark Ford of Campbell Hall, New York and (breeder) William Varney of Bangor, Maine. The victory was his 43rd lifetime and lifted his earnings to $925,349.