The Maine Sire Stakes celebrated its 50th anniversary with a $510,000-plus extravaganza for three-year-old Pine Tree State-bred harness horses on Saturday, Oct. 12 at Hollywood Casino Hotel and Raceway in Bangor, Maine.
While the historical significance of the series was marked the necessary fanfare at the iconic Bass Park, a quartet of divisional leaders also reinforced their individual places in the chronicles of New England Standardbred sport.
Marc Tardif’s Two Fold Cold (pictured) made an uncharacteristic first-over grind to secure his victory in the $131,688 Maine Sire Stakes final for three-year-old male pacers while extending his unblemished season to an even dozen victories.
Scoring from post six, regular driver Kevin Switzer Jr. took a seat instead of his usual point position with the son of Deuce Seelster. Stable mate Arts Flight (8-1, Andy Harrington) took the spread-out field to the opening panel in :28.2, with Justcallmebuck (16-1, Heath Campbell) in the pocket and the 4-5 favourite Two Fold Cold sitting fifth nearly 10 lengths back. Tipping off the pegs at the 3/8’s marker, Switzer kept Two Fold Cold rolling past the :58.2 half and ranging up on the leaders into a 1:27.4 third panel. Whats For Suppaah (27-1, Aaron Hall) picked up the live cover and followed the aggressor through the final turn as track announcer Mike Sweeney exclaimed, “throw a blanket over this stakes field.”
Thundering down the stretch the two Tardif-trained challengers fought valiantly to the wire while whiskers apart. The judge’s photo finish determined that the favorite, Two Fold Cold prevailed over Arts Flight by a neck in 1:58.2.
Owned and trained by Marc Tardif and bred in Maine by Gary and Kristina Hall, it was the colt’s twelfth consecutive victory, which extended his perfect season. In his career of 21 starts, Two Fold Cold now has 16 wins and $234,928 in lifetime earnings. He paid $3.60 for the score.
Justcallmebuck finished third, who ironically, is trained by Gary Hall for owner-breeder Kristina Hall.
For the sidestepping sophomore distaff $131,703 Maine Sire Stakes Final, Gowestyounggrace also picked up her twelfth win of the season, albeit by overcoming some hardball racing action in the process.
At the start, the Fred Ward Jr.-trained divisional leader and 1-9 heavy favourite took the lead from post two, but had to contend with the hard-charging Emma Rozze (8-1, Heath Campbell) who blasted up to take command into a :28 opening panel. Driver Dave Ingraham had Gowestyounggrace right back out at the 3/8’s marker and looking for a re-take. However Heath Campbell was not so eager to relinquish the point and hung the favorite out to dry past the :57.1 half and through the third turn. Regaining the advantage before the 1:27.1 third stanza, Ingraham had the daughter of Western Maverick on her toes and fending off another bid by Whos Perfect (8-1, Aaron Hall) as the field rounded the final bend.
Gaining separation with every stride the series standout secured the win, which was a back-to-back Maine Sire Stakes finals triumph. Gowestyounggrace now has year-end victories at both ages two and three.
Winning by 2-1/4 lengths, she paid $2.20 to win for owners-breeders Sharon Ward and Fred Ward Jr., and now has $262,044 in career earnings and 17 victories in 24 lifetime starts.
Emma Rozze finished second; Whos Perfect was third.
Trainer Valerie Grondin swept both trotting divisions of the three-year-old Maine Sire Stakes finals, with the Campbell brothers each grabbing their own piece of the familial pie.
Heath Campbell secured a wire-to-wire conquest while driving Pembroke Breeze in her $131,107 filly trot division, scoring in 2:03 by 6-3/4 lengths. Owned and bred by Bill Varney, she paid $2.20 to win for trainer Grondin. The daughter of Pembroke Slugger grabbed her eighth seasonal victory and boosted her career bankroll to $217,211. It was also her second Maine finals victory, having also captured the race at age two.
It was a bittersweet victory for all of the connections as the filly’s prominent owner-breeder William L. Varney had passed away the day prior. Well known through his ‘Pembroke’ farm moniker, Varney has owned and bred hundreds of racehorses, many of which have made an indelible mark on harness racing in Maine, and across the country, over the last several decades. Varney was 83.
Bernies Legacy (Dave Ingraham) finished second; My Saving Grace (Mark Athearn) was third.
The $130,936 trotting colt and gelding Maine Sire Stakes final went to Chipper Dale and driver Drew Campbell. Drawing off by 8-1/4 lengths, they tripped the timer in 2:02.3 in the non-wagering, early race.
Trained by Valerie Grondin for owner-breeder Lynn-Marie Plouffe, the son of Shake It Off Lindy secured his tenth win of the season, amassing $266,467 in career earnings.
The Maine Sire Stakes Finals, now fifty years in the making, represent a culmination of years of hard work and dedication on behalf of dozens of industry stakeholders, including, but not limited to the owners, breeders, trainers, drivers and caretakers of these equine athletes.
Not only do these horses represent a significant individual and collective investment in harness racing and agriculture in the state of Maine, but the peripheral revenue generated by the truck and trailer sales and maintenance, fuel suppliers, feed companies, hay producers, tack shops, blacksmiths, farm owners, and racetracks that give them a place to compete, generously exceeds seven figures annually.
(Maine Sire Stakes)