The cream of the crop of Maine-bred three-year-old trotters will make one final appearance at the historic Fryeburg Fair on Thursday (Oct. 6) before heading to the rich $240,000-plus Maine Breeders Stakes (MSBS) sophomore finals on Oct. 15 at Bangor.
Quite a big deal in its own right, people come from far and wide to attend the ‘Blue Ribbon Classic’ Fryeburg Fair. As the folklore goes, “it was a chilly day in March of 1851 when a few local farmers and merchants got together and decided to show off their harvest, produce, cattle and wares to the community.”
Having grown exponentially, according to Fryeburg Fair Superintendent of History, Barbara Hill, it is the area’s “largest agricultural fair, second in New England in size only to Eastern States in Massachusetts.”
At present, the Fryeburg Fair encompasses 185 acres, has more than 100 buildings, with the eight-day event hosting more than 8,000 animals as well as a full week of harness racing.
In Maine-sired trotting action, sophomore male point leader Katahdin Mark (Gary Hall) will slug it out with runner-up Warriorofthevally (Andy Harrington) in the $18,489 MSBS three-year-old colt and gelding trot. Programmed as race three, the six entrants are all eligible for the $60,000-plus male three-year-old trot final next week, but this event represents the last chance for this diagonally-gaited set to get a solid tightener before the big money is on the line.
Katahdin Mark (pictured above) has drawn post six for his trainer/driver Gary Hall and will look to add to his already impressive seven-for-11 seasonal stakes record. Owned and bred by James and Betsey Kelley, the son of Noble Venture has been installed as the 5-2 morning line favourite.
His current nemesis, Warriorofthevalley, is part of a Leighton Property ownership entry (7-2 on the morning line) and scores from post two. The son of Pembroke Slugger has not been worse than third in 10 of 11 stakes races this year.
The Valerie Grondin-trained Chamorro has the outside post six for regular driver Heath Campbell. Third in the point standings, the son of Pembroke Slugger has been second or third in eight of 11, but has yet to win a heat in 2022. His is 5-1 on the morning line.
The distaff group goes before the regular card in the $18,286 MSBS three-year-old filly trot, with home run leader Maplewood Slugger (Andy Harrington) batting clean-up from post two.
The undisputed point leader in the group, Maplewood Slugger is the homebred property of Maxine Hadlock and has won her last two outings, putting her seasonal win total at six.
Trainer Valerie Grondin sends a solid one-two punch of Pembroke Honcho (Aaron Hall, post three) and Pemroke Faye (Heath Campbell, post one) into the fray. Both are owned by Bill Varney and by the sire Pembroke Slugger. Each filly has a pair of victories and are in the top four in the point standings.
Rounding out this group is Show No Tears (John Nason), who has finished on the board in seven of 11 seasonal outings. The daughter of CR Power Glide is owned by Carolyn Corso and Diann Perkins and was bred by Lynn-Marie Plouffe.
Two $18,000-plus MSBS divisions for three-year-old filly pacers race on the regular Fryeburg card on Friday (Oct. 7), with the glamour boys (three-year-old pacing colts) coming in with one division on Saturday (Oct. 8).
(Maine Breeders Stakes)