Driver Mark Athearn and trainer Gretchen Athearn swept a pair of Maine Sire Stakes trotting events on Friday (June 21) at Cumberland Raceway, recreating a similar instance last season where the same two youngsters won their stakes debuts on the same day.
It was like déjà vu all over again when in the $21,586 early non-wagering event, Athearn’s Carrabassett went right to the top and never looked back, scoring by nine open lengths in 2:03.2. The sophomore son of Boy Band did the same thing in his first pari-mutuel race in 2023, winning in a pedestrian 2:11.3. Reducing that mark by nearly eight seconds, Carrabassett notched his first trip back to the winner’s circle since last July. Owned by Patrick Leavitt, he was bred by the late Mike Andrew. Pembroke Will (Heath Campbell) last season’s freshman champion finished second and Chipper Dale (Drew Campbell) was third in the three-horse field. They were both trained by Valerie Grondin.
In the $22,203 opener for Maine-sired three-year-old trotting fillies, Athearn took matters into his own hands once again and repeated his wire-to-wire journey with My Saving Grace (pictured above) in 2:05.1. The Shake It Off Lindy filly won her first three starts last year and went on to capture a total of five Maine Sire Stakes on the season. Taking a new mark for Team Athearn, she is owned by Margaret Thyng and paid $7.60 to win by a length. She was bred by Leighton Property. Last year’s distaff champ and 1-2 favourite Pembroke Breeze (Heath Campbell) finished second and Twisted Venture (Mike Cushing) was third.
Next, a pair of $22,000-plus Maine Sire Stakes for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings went postward as races three and four on the 13-race pari-mutuel card.
Justcallmebuck just keeps on winning as the son of Deuce Seelster grabbed his third in a row for driver Heath Campbell and trainer Gary Hall. Slicing through the beam in 1:59.1, the duo provided a meager $2.20 payoff as the 1-9 heavy favourite. It was the gray colt’s second consecutive stakes victory for owner Kristina Hall and another wire-to-wire romp. Whats For Suppaah (Aaron Hall) finished a fast-closing second and Chance Worth Tryin (Drew Campbell) was third.
The Tardif Taskforce nearly swept the final $22,488 event, with their charges taking first, second and fourth places. Aaron Hall left swiftly with Ron Cushing’s Hesjustadelight, setting an opening panel of :29.1. They paced in single-file fashion to the :59.2 half, where 1-2 favourite Ella V Fella (Kevin Switzer Jr.) moved first over from fifth position. While he embarked on that mission to improve his position, that attempt proved unsuccessful as stablemate Wess Challenge (Walter Case Jr.) popped the deuce and took command past the 1:28.1 third stanza before storming home in 1:58. A son of Deuce Seelster, Leighton Property's Wess Challenge was bred by Gary and Kristina Hall and paid $7.20 to win. Arts Flight (Andy Harrington) picked up the pieces and finished second and Hesjustadelight hung on to be third with Ella V Fella fourth.
Driver Drew Campbell had four wins on the card, and Mark Athearn won three, which included the early non-betting race.
Racing resumes on Saturday, June 22, which brings the Learn & Earn two-year-old races back with four non-wagering events starting at 1:30 p.m. The regular card begins promptly at 3:15 p.m. with a 12-race program of full fields, including the featured $6,000 USD top pace in race 11. A single $5,000 USD division of the Maine Amateur Driving Club (MADC) rings the bell for the opener on Saturday. The MADC is sponsored by the Blue Seal Feed Stores of North Yarmouth and Windham, Me.
(First Tracks Cumberland)