Maine's top sophomores battled for supremacy in the four lucrative championship finals on Saturday, Oct. 11 at Bangor Raceway.
Sophomore male pacer Massive Speed ($2.20) returned to the state of Maine after testing stakes competition in Massachusetts, and he picked up right where he left off with a lifetime-best equalling mile in the $142,499 Maine Sires Stakes final. Driver Aaron Hall guided the 1-9 shot to the front from post three, clearing This Dudes Perfect (Heath Campbell) through a :28 opening quarter. After middle fractions of :59.1 and 1:28.1, Massive Speed sprinted home in :28.4 to win in 1:57 to match his career mark. Ridgecrest Dan (Jason Nason) was a length back in second with This Dudes Perfect rounding out the top trio.
Owned by Leighton Property of Waterboro, Me., Massive Speed (Dudes The Man - Machmeter) sports an impressive 22-1-0 summary from his 26 lifetime appearances for trainer Marc Tardif with $364,402 in earnings. He's won 12 of his 13 starts in 2025.
Like Massive Speed, Libertys Wildcard ($2.20) elevated his record to 12 wins in 13 sophomore starts when he delivered as the 1-9 public choice in the $142,079 Maine Sires Stakes final for three-year-old trotting colts and geldings for trainer Tardif and owner Leighton Property.
Driver Kevin Switzer, Jr. — a winner of five races on the afternoon — had Libertys Wildcard on the move from third at the three-eighths mark to attack early leader Whatawonder (Ken Watson) after a :30.1 opener. Pressing the leader through the 1:01.1 half, Libertys Wildcard cleared to the top as the three-quarter mark was reached in 1:30.3. A 30-second final stanza sealed the deal for Libertys Wildcard, three parts of a length better than Whatawonder while earning a news 2:00.3 speed badge in the process. Just Foolin (Heath Campbell) completed the triactor ticket.
Since making a break in his career debut last July, Libertys Wildcard (Noble Venture - Race Me Liberty) has finished in the top three for 22 straight starts, posting a 12-8-2 summary while banking $243,736 overall.
The hottest horse heading into the championship finals, sophomore trotting filly Barbella came into historic Bass Park with a seven-race win streak and left Bangor on an eight-race heater after easily handling six rivals in her $142,284 Maine Sires Stakes final.
Front-end controlling through every call, Barbella ($2.20) and driver Switzer chopped out panels of :29.4, 1:01.4 and 1:32 then trotting home in half a minute for the 2:02 tally. Twisted Fate (Mike Cushing) finished a respectable second by 4-3/4 lengths after pressing the favourite through the middle of the mile, with Little Shot (Ivan Davies) in for the show dough.
Ken Andersen trains Barbella (Whataworkout - Knella Bella) for owner Robert Zakian of York, Me. The filly sports a record of 11-1-1 in 15 starts this season, with 12 wins in her 25 lifetime appearances, and earnings of $240,811.
The only chalk buster in the Maine Sires Stakes finals came in the finale, although it wasn't much of an upset when the 7-5 second choice bested the 4-5 favourite. Leanne Marie and driver Mike Cushing prevailed over favoured Chasing Dudes in the $142,469 final for three-year-old pacing fillies.
Leanne Marie fronted the field through fractions of :29.2, 1:01.1 and 1:30.2 and then paced home in :29.1 to stave off the late bid of Chasing Dudes (Nick Graffam) by half a length to trip the timer in 1:59.3. Whisper Of Luck (Andy Harrington) completed the triactor ticket.
A homebred owned by Pamela Smith of Weld, Me., Jane Dipompo of Jay, Me. and trainer Charlene Cushing of Farmington, Me., Leanne Marie (Artistic Fella - Zoe Blue Chip) has finished first or second (9-4-0) in all of her 13 sophomore starts. She's now an 11-time winner in her career with $239,404 in purses.
On the Saturday undercard, Heinikin Bythebay ($5.60) went all the way on top for driver Kevin Switzer Jr. in the $35,211 Fred Nichols Invitational Pace. After splits of :27.4, :57.3 and 1:25, Heinikin Bythebay held off late rallies from favoured Two Fold Cold (Dave Ingraham) and Tenzing Bromac N (Ron Cushing) to hang on by a nose for the 1:53.1 score. Two Fold Cold just missed, with Tenzing Bromac N a half length back in third.
Trained by Kevin Switzer Sr. for breeder/owner KDK Standardbreds of Harrington, De., six-year-old Heinikin Bythebay (Southwind Lynx - Sally Pansen) sports 35 wins in 97 starts with earnings of 747,269 in his career.
Racing resumes at Bangor Raceway on Sunday, Oct. 12 with a 12:10 p.m. first post time.
(Standardbred Canada; photo of Massive Speed from a previous win)