Last year’s freshman pacing filly champion Gowestyounggrace picked right up where she left off in the Maine Sire Stakes, taking the faster of two $22,186 divisions at First Tracks Cumberland on Saturday, June 15.
Heavy 1-9 favourite Gowestyounggrace and driver Dave Ingraham got away fourth in the field of five, with Heath Campbell taking point with 10-1 shot Whos Perfect through a :29.2 opening panel.
Sensing the modest pace, Ingraham pulled the daughter of Western Maverick at the three-eighths pole and moved swiftly to match strides alongside the leader at a 1:00 half. Those two got some separation from the field as they fought tooth and nail to the three-quarter pole, resulting in a stinging 1:28.1 stanza.
The battle continued through the far turn and into the head of the stretch, with Gowestyounggrace finding another gear to out-sprint the Valerie Grondin-trained pacesetter and score by a measured length in 1:58.2. Ghost Of You (Kevin Switzer Jr.) finished third.
Trained by Fred Ward Jr., who co-owns with Sharon Ward, Gowestyounggrace earned her first seasonal victory and a new lifetime mark. She has now won half of her dozen starts while banking more than $700,000. She paid just $2.20 to win.
In the other division, the Tardif Taskforce showed that they have plenty of quills in their quiver as they sent two of their four three-year-old filly pacers into this skirmish.
When the wings folded, Pembroke Red (Heath Campbell) went right to the front from post two, as the Tardif fillies merged into traffic close behind. Favoured My Sweet Revenge (Switzer) followed along in the two-hole, with Push Your Luck (Walter Case Jr.) settling in third.
No movement occurred through the :29.2 opening panel, nor by the laxer 1:01.2 half Heading down the backstretch for the final time, Case pulled Push Your Luck to the outside and made a swift move to challenge the leader into a 1:31.1 third panel.
As the field turned for home, Push Your Luck put a nose in front and continued to gain momentum and ground as Case steered the daughter of Thirty Two Red to a maiden-breaking victory in 2:01.2. Pembroke Red held on for second and even-money first choice My Sweet Revenge ran out of racing room and had to settle for third.
Owned, trained and bred by Marc Tardif, Push Your Luck earned her first win in her eighth lifetime start and it was only the second time she finished on the board. She paid $6.60 in redeeming victory as the third wagering choice.
Former Maine Sire Stakes champion Call Me Maverick returned to his home track to take a $7,534 conditioned pace in a swift 1:55.4, paying $2.40 to win. Mike Stevenson drove for trainer Allison Hynes. The summa cum laude graduate of the Gordon Corey Institute of Equine Erudition remains the homebred property of Upland Farm.
Owner/trainer Kelly Case's former track record holder Rocksapatriot, driven by Dave Ingraham, sat a perfect two-hole trip to upset pacesetting favourite Instant Replay (Walter Case Jr.) to win an $8,219 conditioned pace in 1:57.2. He paid $12.80 to win.
In other Saturday racing action, 86-year-old owner/trainer/driver Bob Nadeau changed his luck after going winless in seven starts this season. The youthful octogenarian steered his own N Expense to victory in a $6,849 division of the Maine Amateur Driving Club (MADC).
A concrete salesman by trade, the affable and hard-working part-time horseman has never let age get in the way of his passion for racing.
“I have been doing forty chin ups every day, ever since I was on the football team in high school,” noted Nadeau. “Not only has this helped keep me fit, but has also been useful in the bike when these horses start to get a little grabby.”
In Saturday’s victory, Nadeau found himself splitting horses with his two-hole position and left alertly along with the pylon-protecting Ill Call You Later (Derek Howes) and Goin Manstyle (Hunter Lofthus), who was forcing the quick opening pace on the outside.
However, once around the turn, the pacesetting Ill Call You Later dramatically downgraded the tempo, resulting in a pedestrian 29-second opening panel. With the field stacked up tightly around the far turn, Nadeau popped the pocket going into a 1:01 even softer second quarter.
With the upbeat rhythm heading into the backstretch for the final time, N Expense looked Ill Call You Later right in the eye and then went right on by. After a 1:29.4 third section, Nadeau kept right on rolling down to the wire by an open five lengths, scoring in 2:01.1. It was the second seasonal victory for the Nova Scotia-bred 13-year-old son of N Xample who paid $10.60 for the triumph.
For Nadeau, it was the reinsman’s first visit to the winner's circle since December of last year when his gray stable star Putnams Storm won the $7,000 Frosty Final. Nadeau has been driving horses since 1977 and has quietly amassed 165 victories and earned $262,709.
Always modest, Nadeau stated, “I never made a lot of money driving horses, but I have always had a lot of fun. And you can’t put a price on that!”
Stephen LaCasse took the other MADC race, picking up his first win of the year with Nets Of Passion in 1:58.4. He paid $3.80 as the favourite from the pylon position.
The MADC is sponsored by the Blue Seal Feed Stores of North Yarmouth and Windham, Maine.
Racing resumes at Cumberland on Friday, June 21 with several divisions of the Maine Sire Stakes for three-year-old trotters. Post time is 3:15 p.m.
(With files from Maine Sire Stakes & First Tracks Cumberland)