Two $22,000-plus divisions of the Maine Sire Stakes for three-year-old pacing colts resulted in a shuffling of the deck for this crop of side-steppers, with two new seasonal sires stakes winners emerging on Saturday, June 29 at Cumberland Raceway.
Carded as races one and three on the 12-race afternoon program, the Maine faithful bring their some of their best stock to these stakes events, and this week was no exception.
In the first $22,270 division trainer/driver Ron Cushing sent 7-2 second choice Hesjustadelight on a forward trajectory right from the start. Scoring from post five, the son of Western Maverick rolled swiftly out from the start and was hung out by 10-1 shot Thru The Fire and Andy Harrington into a :28.1 opening panel. With the pair gaining more than 10 lengths of separation on the field, Harrington took back with Thru The Fire and Cushing settled Hesjustadelight on the front end before they hit the three-eighths marker.
With a more forgiving half in :59, the rest of the field started to decrease their lengths behind the leader and move closer to the pace, while the leader hit the third panel in 1:28.2. Down the backside the second time, 1-9 betting choice Ella V Fella and Kevin Switzer Jr. moved into second place, but got rough gaited in the turn as he approached the pacesetter’s helmet. That allowed Cushing and Hesjustadelight to scamper off and score unfettered by 2-3/4 lengths in 1:59, a new career best. He paid $9.20 to win. Ella V Fella finished second and Thru The Fire was third.
Owned by Cushing along with breeder Lynn-Marie Plouffe, Anthony and Joseph Romanelli, Hesjustadelight scored his first seasonal victory from three starts and his fifth lifetime win.
In the second $22,758 division of the Maine Sire Stakes, the favoured winner of the last two legs, 3-5 bettors' choice Justcallmebuck and Heath Campbell left from pylon position and took command through a :28.4 opening panel. With a more pedestrian half in 1:00.2, the outer flow materialized with 14-1 shot Arts Flight and Harrington first-up and 9-1 stablemate Two Fold Cold and Switzer second-over.
As the pace appeared to be stalling on the front end into a 1:28.4 third panel, Switzer tipped Two Fold Cold three-wide down the backside and set upon the leaders through the final turn. With a bold move and the momentum behind them, Two Fold Colt breezed down the lane and got up to win by a length in 1:58.4, a new lifetime mark. He paid $20.80 to win. Justcallmebuck hung on to be second and Wess Challenge, with Walter Case Jr. in the sulky, was third.
Owned and trained by Marc Tardif, Two Fold Cold improved to two-for-two to start is his sophomore campaign and now has half a dozen career wins. The son of Deuce Seelster was bred by Gary and Kristina Hall.
In other news, So Rock N Roll extended his win streak to eight, taking a $8,219 conditioned pace featured on the undercard in 1:54.2, which was a new lifetime mark for the four-year-old son of Western Maverick. Trained by Benson Merrill and driven by Bruce Ranger, he paid just $2.20 to win. Owned and bred by Leighton Property/Lesley Leighton, So Rock N Roll came from off the pace once again and overpowered his foes.
Benson Merrill also won the $6,849 Maine Amateur Driving Club (MADC) with Velocity Sub Z in 1:59. Owned and trained by Judson Merrill, he paid $16.60 to win. The MADC is sponsored by the Blue Seal Feed Stores of North Yarmouth and Windham, Maine.
The First Tracks Cumberland meet continues throughout the summer months with regular racing on Friday and Saturday each weekend during the extended pari-mutuel meeting, which runs through Aug. 3.
(With files from First Tracks Cumberland)