On a brisk, but sunny autumn afternoon on Saturday, Oct. 17 at Bangor Raceway, four six-figure Maine Sire Stakes finals delivered some chalk and an upset in the annual culmination of Pine Tree State-bred three-year-old trotters and pacers.
Of course, for harness racing aficionados the glamour boys division always brings the top talent to the forefront, and this year was no exception. The 1-9 favourite in the $142,490 Maine Sire Stakes final for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings, trainer Valerie Grondin's Daytoremember, left from post two for driver Heath Campbell and fought for the lead with the pylon-protecting Silence Ofdarkness (Kevin Switzer Jr.) into a :29 opening panel.
Stuck on the rim and pushing forward was Deuces Red (Steve Wilson), who found himself first-up at the :59.3 half, with Rebels Revenge (Aaron Hall) enjoying that second-over cover.
With the field starting to stack up behind the fading outer flow, Campbell got a few lengths separation on top with Daytoremember past the 1:28.2 third panel. Pocket-sitting Silence Ofdarkness, one of six Marc Tardif trainees in the eight-horse field, tried valiantly to keep up, but to no avail as the pacesetter strolled away a 5-3/4-length victor in 1:57.1. The Tardif-trained Nuh Uh (Andy Harrington) got up for third.
Owned, trained and bred by his Corinna, Maine conditioner, the Dudes The Man-Paxxie gelding earned his 10th win of the year from 13 starts and increased his seasonal bankroll to $185,665. He returned $2.20 to win.
In the $142,490 Maine Sire Stakes final for three-year-old filly pacers, the divisional leader and 1-5 favourite, Snowonthepines, took her usual seat at the front of the bus for driver Kevin Switzer Jr.; however, she had to out-sprint her 2-1 second choice rival Just Delightful and driver/co-owner Ron Cushing, who begrudgingly allowed the filly to clear into a :28 opening panel. But as track announcer Mick Sweeney succinctly noted, “She took a little bit of starch out of that one.”
Settling down a bit, the lass led the field through a :59 half before any challengers came calling. Graceofspades (Dave Ingraham) was the first to move, with Perfectly Lovely (Heath Campbell) picking up that cover as the pack moved tightly through the third turn.
With Snowonthepines on the engine into a swifter 1:28.3 third panel, Cushing found a seam for Just Delightful and the challenger extracted his charge from the pylons and set about reeling in the pacesetter around the final turn. At the head of the stretch, the fillies were eye-to-eye and wheel-to-wheel as the drivers prepared for battle. By mid-stretch, it appeared that Snowonthepines was giving all she had and Just Delightful had a little more, scoring by two lengths in 1:58.3. Graceofspades finished third.
Trained by Heidi Cushing, the daughter of Western Maverick-Shesjustadelight N, also co-owned by Stephen Downey of Quispamsis, N.B., and Anthony & Joseph Romanelli of Flushing, New York, increased her seasonal earnings to $157,194 while improving her seasonal scorecard to 5-7-0 in 14 starts. She returned $6.80 to win.
In the $101,011 final for three-year-old filly trotters, leading divisional star Hayden and trainer/driver Gary Hall enjoyed a classic tour of the Maine half-mile oval as the heavy 1-5 favourite.
Following several aggressive miscues at the start, the mile was somewhat pedestrian for Hayden, who led every step of the way with Coronation Moon (Ivan Davies) sitting in the pocket through splits of :30, 1:01 and 1:31.3. Past the third panel, Wally Watson sent Roseapple Ave past the pocket-sitter to grab second and attempt to reel in the leader. However, Hayden would not be caught as she coasted to victory in 2:02.2 by 2-1/4 lengths. Roseapple Ave finished second with Our Last Quote (Steve Wilson) recovered from an early break to grab third over Coronation Moon.
Trained and driven by Gary Hall to a total of 11 seasonal victories in 13 starts, the daughter of Cantab Fashion-AJs Baby has earned $191,043 this year for owner Stephen Hall of Newport, Maine with just a pair of uncharacteristic miscues over the long season. She continued her four-race winning streak, returning $2.60.
In the $141,701 Maine Sire Stakes final for three-year-old colt and gelding trotters, which was held as an early non-wagering event, divisional point leader Wilder N Idy behaved behind the gate for driver Mark Athearn, bided his time in third through opening panels of :31 and 1:02 then overtook Guss Workout (Heath Campbell), who made a break while on top at the half. Wilder N Idy started to extend his lead to three-quarters in 1:32.2 and won by 4-1/2 lengths in 2:02.2. Trottinfortreasure (Kevin Switzer Jr.) finished second off a pocket trip after being interfered with the mid-race leading breaker, who finished third in the quartet.
Wilder N Idy is a son of To The Hilt and Wild Pine Princess who now has eight wins in 13 starts and $182,441 in seasonal earnings for trainer Gretchen Athearn and owner Patsy Leavitt of Buxton, Maine.
The Saturday program also included the $28,169 final of the Fred Nichols Pacing Series, which was won by Maine Sires Stakes graduate Massive Speed.
Fresh off divisional track record performances at Maine’s Farmington and Fryeburg Fairs, the four-year-old Dudes The Man-Machmeter gelding was sent to the gate as the prohibitive 1-9 favourite as the select field was sprung from the gate, with regular driver Kevin Switzer Jr. charting the course for the punters’ darling. Leaving alertly from post four, Switzer acquiesced to a pocket trip behind the capable Sweet Jeff IR (Nick Graffam), tracking reasonable :28.1 speed to the quarter, a tempo that was downshifted to a moderate :57.1 at the half.
Feeling fresh on the lead, Graffam quickly gunned Sweet Jeff IR to a 1:25.2 three-quarter clocking, all while Massive Speed sat looming directly off his shoulder. But in the blink of an eye, the looming transformed into zooming, as Switzer revved up Massive Speed, tipped from the comfort of the pocket and captured the lead, in one of the most decisive salvos fired this season at Bangor Raceway.
Once on the lead, Switzer deftly encouraged his charge, stepping clear to an eventual 3-1/2 lengths margin at the wire, timed in 1:53.3, a clocking all the more remarkable considering the frigid temperatures and gusting winds at historic Bass Park on Saturday. Sweet Jeff IR faded to fourth as Gabe Hanover (Heath Campbell) secured the runner-up placing while Th Kay C Crunch (Aaron Hall) rallied for third.
Massive Speed is currently trained by Benson Merrill for owner Leighton Property of Waterboro, Maine. The win, his ninth of the season, represents his 31st career score from only 45 lifetime starts.
The 1:53.3 clocking fell three-fifths of a second off Bangor’s divisional track record for four-year-old geldings, a record that was established in the 2025 edition of the Fred Nichols by another Merrill trainee, So Rock N Roll.
The win was one of four on the program for Switzer, who scored with two additional Merrill roster members, American Maverick (1:56.2, $12) and JS Peyton (2:00.4, $4.80), while capping his grand slam with a thrilling, come-from-behind effort behind the Eric Bickmore-trained Liams Ace (1:58.1, $2.20).
In other Bangor news, a pair of prolific winners continued their dominance while solidifying their presence on the North American top performer list. Cool Man Dude (1:56.3, $2.20) won for the 20th time this season with Aaron Hall holding the lines for trainer Steven Vafiades, reinforcing his position as the winningest horse on the continent thus far in the season. Skyway Freakshow (1:57, $2.80) also joined the international hit parade, moving into a tie for sixth place on that very same listing after securing his 15th seasonal win for the driver/trainer team of McGwire and Autym Sowers.
Racing at Bangor Raceway will continue on a three-day per week schedule through Nov. 7. Post time for the Wednesday cards will be at 2:30 p.m. while the Saturday and Sunday matinees will step to the gate bright and early, at 11:45 a.m.
(With files from Maine Sire Stakes & Bangor Raceway; photo of Just Delightful winning on Oct. 17)