Libertys Wildcard wired a five-pack of male sophomore trotters to remain undefeated in Maine Sire Stakes action this season as a highlight of a big day for driver Kevin Switzer Jr. on Sunday, July 13 at Bangor Raceway while Barbella took on a full, eight-horse field of three-year-old trotting fillies and overwhelmed them with ease.
The $16,163 Maine Sire Stakes for sophomore male trotters was anything but a twist of fate as 1-9 heavy favourite Libertys Wildcard went down the road like a chalk horse should.
Leaving from post four, driver Kevin Switzer Jr. wasted little time getting Libertys Wildcard to the top and taking the field through a :31 second opening panel. Just Foolin (Heath Campbell) tracked along closely in second with Newport Venture (Erik Bickmore) gapping in third.
Libertys Wildcard passed the half in a measured 1:03.2 forcing Enchanted Prince (Kim Ireland) to vacate his fourth-on-the-pegs position and take up residency in the outer flow.
As the field trotted down the backstretch for the final time, Libertys Wildcard gained some separation on the field while scampering to a 1:34.1 third stanza. Turning for home, the pacesetter was well on his way with his disciples trotting up a storm in the race for second.
Track announcer Mike Sweeney noted that Libertys Wildcard “gave his swoop to the group” and crossed the beam in 2:05.3, well in hand. Just Foolin finished second and Enchanted Prince was third.
After being the runner-up in last year’s freshman final, Libertys Wildcard won his fourth consecutive Maine Sire Stakes to keep a perfect sophomore record. Trained by Marc Tardif for owner Leighton Property, the son of Noble Venture and Race Me Liberty was bred by Jerry Stratton Jr. He paid $2.20 to win.
Switzer Jr. dominated the action at Bangor on Sunday accumulating a total of five wins throughout the 12-race program, also scoring with Golden Tree ($2.40) for trainer Neal Grass, Word Out ($3.80) for Ronald Dinsmore, Zen Da Ballykeel ($5) for Logan Lanpher and Screenshot ($3.20) for Eric Bickmore.
Switzer’s Sunday quintuplet solidified his status as the current top-stick at Bangor Raceway. He continues to reside at the apex of the leaderboard with 32 Queen City scores this season, seven more than the triple-dead-heat for second place with Drew Campbell, Heath Campbell and McGwire Sowers all knotted up with 25 wins apiece.
In the other $17,059 division of Maine Sires Stakes on Sunday, Barbella, last season’s runner-up in the two-year-old trotting filly division, took her task to a whole new level as she wired the field in a career-best mile.
Scoring from pylon position, driver Bruce Ranger strode right to the top with Barbella and was met by year’s champion Little Shot (Ivan Davies), who also attempted to take command from post two, only to be thwarted and forced take an abundance of that good Queen City air in the :31 opening panel.
Barbella continued to make every call a winning one, clocking the half in 1:01.3. Little Shot was able to duck into the two-hole as Kevin Switzer Jr. pulled a blind switch with Race Me Bombshell while the field headed past the five-eighths marker.
As Barbella cruised toward the 1:32 third station, gaining separation with every stride, the ‘catcher-uppers’ were doing all they could to stay with her. Race Me Bombshell’s first-over bid found her neck and neck with Little Shot as the field rounded the final turn.
Rolling home a winner by three lengths, the sharp daughter of Whataworkout and Knella Bella shaved a full three seconds off of her previous lifetime best, tripping the timer in 2:02.1 for the new time badge. Little Shot finished second and Race Me Bombshell was third.
Trained by Ken Anderson for owner Robert Zakian, Barbella was bred by the late Mike Andrew. She paid $4.80 to win while scoring her third Maine Sire Stakes win in a row and fourth career victory in 16 starts.
In other news, the business numbers at Bangor continue in ascendant mode this season, with Sunday’s total live handle coming in at $158,059 USD, the largest live handle number since May 2, 2021.
Looking ahead, Wednesday’s Bangor program hosts the Maine Sire Stakes for two-year-old pacing colts and geldings. Later in the week, Maine’s two-year-old filly pacers head to Cumberland on Friday, with the sophomore filly pacers coming right back on Saturday.
(With files from Maine Sire Stakes & Bangor Raceway; photo of Libertys Wildcard winning on July 13)