Another two full fields of eight three-year-old male pacers will highlight the second round of Maine Sire Stakes at Bangor Raceway on Wednesday, June 21, with the powerful Marc Tardif stable sending seven entries postward.
A four-horse squad from the ‘Tardif Taskforce’ dominates the first $15,367 division for Pine Tree State-bred colts and geldings, with last week’s first division winner Colt Bennett (Bruce Ranger, Post 2) facing Tardif’s star pupil Luke McGook (Kevin Switzer Jr.). Fresh off his 3,000th career victory at Cumberland last Saturday, Switzer will drive the 7-5 favourite from post position five.
Winner of the fastest of two divisions last week, the son of Rock N Roll World took a seasonal mark of 1:57 in his 3-1/4-length romp. A winner of $140,457 last season, Luke McGook (pictured above) did some damage to his competitors on both sides of the bay, having enjoyed significant success in both Maine and Massachusetts. Owned by Leighton Property, his entry-mate is Rockaroundsam (Dan Deslandes, Post 8).
A Tardif-owned race entry is comprised of Twice The Ice (Andy Harrington, Post 1) and Anithingforyoudear (Walter Case Jr., Post 6), listed as 2-1 on the early morning line. The former makes his first start of the year, where the latter enters his first stakes race of the season following a pair of maiden prep victories at Cumberland over the last few weeks.
In the second $15,367 division, another Leighton Property-owned, Tardif-trained entry is comprised of So Rock N Roll (Walter Case Jr., Post 1) and Someones Hero (Andy Harrington, Post 2). These two geldings finished second and third, respectively, in their divisions last time out and are listed as 7-5 on the morning line.
Two Towns Over (Aaron Hall) has been installed as the 3-2 favourite and will leave from post position three. Beaten just a neck last week by Colt Bennett, he is trained by Valerie Grondin. The son of Deuce Seelster earned $80,374 last year, which included a victory in the Maine Sire Stakes championship final at Cumberland in a track record 1:57.
The Maine Standardbred Breeders Stakes returns to Cumberland on Friday with two $13,500-plus divisions for three-year-old trotters. First post is 3:15 p.m. Following that, Maine’s three-year-old pacing fillies head north to Bangor on Sunday.
(With files from Maine Sire Stakes)