Three divisions of pacing three-year-old competed over the weekend at Fryeburg Fair, looking for their places in the lucrative $240,000-plus Maine Breeders Stakes (MSBS) sophomore finals on Oct. 15 at Bangor.
Saturday’s (Oct. 8) lone $18,654 MSBS Three-Year-Old Colt and Gelding Pace witnessed Bandolito Blaze flash some early speed to attain command and then coasted to an easy victory in 2:00.1.
Scoring from post 4, driver Heath Campbell set out for the front but had to take in some of that good Pine Tree State air through a :28.3 opening panel where Deal With It Roman had attained the lead.
Once the field passed the stands in a :57.4 half, the Valerie Grondin-trained son of Western Maverick passed all his foes and was "large and in charge" on the front. Deal With It Roman came right back out and got hung while Ugotaearnyrstripes was second over into 1:29 third panel breather.
After favourite Deal With It Roman called it a day, Ugotaearnyrstripes got to within a length and a quarter of the leader amidst a flurry of late closers.
Bandolito Blaze (pictured above) paid $8.60 to win. Ugotaearnyrstripes finished second. CBF Squirt Gun was third.
Owned and bred by Valerie Grondin with co-owner Rhoda Underhill, it was the fourth seasonal victory for Bandolito Blaze, who goes into next week’s $60,000-plus final as one of the favourites. With the Fryeburg win, the colt now jumps to the top of the heap, sporting the most points in the glamour boys division.
Two $18,000-plus MSBS divisions of three-year-old pacing fillies went postward on Friday (Oct. 7).
Sweet Baby G took the opener in 2:01 in an off-the-pace victory. The daughter of Baron Biltmore was bred by trainer Fred Ward Jr. and is still owned by Fred and his wife Sharon. Sweet Baby G had Walter Case Jr. in the bike and paid $2.60 to win. Um Erika finished second; Mach Royal was third.
Wolverina continued her reign, clawing her way to another wire-to-wire romp in 1:57. A winner of 11 races in 13 starts, the daughter of Cheyenne Hollywood raced back in just five days after her 1:53.2 score at Plainridge in a Massachusetts stakes race.
Bred, trained and co-owned by Mike Graffam with Bill Arnold, and driven to victory by Nick Graffam, she has earned $122,250 this year. Wolverina has only Pembroke Legacy in her path to a clean sweep of the final. Both fillies are neck-and-neck in the point standings, which match-up should lead to a very exciting $60,000-plus divisional final.
Wolverina paid $2.80 to win. Pembroke Legacy finished second; Cowgirl Rides Again was third.
(MSBS)