Marc Tardif’s Two Fold Cold took the overland route to win his division of the Maine Sire Stakes on Wednesday, July 10, breaking the track record at historic Bass Park in the process.
With Andy Harrington driving for trainer Marc Tardif, the pair swept both $22,000-plus divisions of the Pine Tree state-bred stakes for three-year-old male pacers at Bangor.
In the first $22,316 event, Two Fold Cold got away third from his pylon position. Hesjustadelight (Ron Cushing) and Wess Challenge (Walter Case Jr.) went out for the early lead, with those two matching strides into the first turn, resulting in a swift :28.3 opening panel.
With Cushing’s Hesjustadelight on point, Harrington moved Two Fold Cold first-over to challenge the pacesetter into a softer :58.4 half. Down the backside, 1-2 favourite Two Fold Cold was still parked as the pair battled through a 1:26.3 (:27.4) third panel.
Finally clearing by the top of the long, far turn Harrington hit the afterburners and the son of Deuce Seelster responded with a strong closing kick to draw away from the field and score by 4-1/2 lengths in a benchmark smashing 1:55.2.
The mile was the fastest ever paced by a three-year-old gelding at Bangor and eclipsed the standard set by Gordon Corey’s Call Me Maverick in 2021.
Wess Challenge got up for second and Hesjustadelight was third.
Owned and trained by Marc Tardif, Two Fold Cold was bred by Gary and Kristina Hall. He paid $3 to win while notching his seventh victory from 12 career starts.
In the second $22,179 division of the Maine Sire Stakes, Team Tardif was at it again, with Arts Flight and Harrington scoring during the late afternoon card.
The 1-5 favourite, Justcallmebuck (Heath Campbell), "pushed the starting gate out of the way" exclaimed track announcer Mick Sweeney, as they rolled into a :30.2 first quarter with 2-1 shot Arts Flight in tow.
The pacesetting favourite had things his own way into a modest 1:00.4 half, but then pushed a little faster through the 1:30 third stanza with Arts Flight sticking to him like glue.
Harrington pulled the pocket with the son of Artistic Fella at the top of the far turn, and despite swinging wide off the turn, the colt sped home in :28.2 to defeat the heavy favourite in 1:58.4 by three parts of a length. CBF Windy Fella (Dave Ingraham) was third.
Owned and trained by Tardif, and bred by Lynne-Marie Plouffe, Arts Flight earned his second win in 13 career starts. He paid $6.40 to win.
The Maine Sire Stakes reconvenes this week at Cumberland with two $15,000 USD divisions of the three-year-old filly pacers on Friday, July 12, and continues at Cumberland the following day, on Saturday, July 13, with a single $15,000 USD division for two-year-old filly pacers. The next day, all divisions of trotters return to historic Bass Park on Sunday, July 14.
(With files from Maine Sire Stakes)