Shesjustadelight N defeated a field of male rivals in the 24th annual Paul Bunyan Pace for driver Ron Cushing and trainer Heidi Gibbs on Friday, July 21 at Bangor Raceway.
Sent postward as the 1-2 favourite in the field of six, Shesjustadelight N got away second-to-last amidst a quick start. With the inside post advantage in the $25,000 contest, A Sweet Ride (Gary Mosher) established the lead through a :26.1 quarter ahead of Hes Marvalous (Nicholas Graffam) with outsider Hickory Icon (Shawn Gray) parked and pressing to the half in :55. Meanwhile, Cushing moved the mare second-over behind Hickory Icon, who overtook the tiring A Sweet Ride on the backstretch. Shesjustadelight N kept on rolling and edged ahead at three-quarters in 1:23.4 before drawing clear down the lane for the 1:53.4 victory. Hickory Icon settled for second while Pembroke Wildcat (Heath Campbell) rallied for third.
Cushing also co-owns the seven-year-old Bettors Delight-Love The Look mare with Kevin Sywyk of Swartz Creek, Michigan. The win was Shesjustadelight N's fourth this year and 26th lifetime, leaving her with a bankroll just shy of $300,000.
The meet-closing card also featured a $10,532 Maine Standardbred Breeders Stakes for two-year-old filly pacers, which was won by the Valerie Grondin-trained Pembroke Passionly (Western Maverick-B Passionate) in 2:02.1 -- her third straight victory -- for owners William Varney of Bangor and Lynn Marie Plouffe of Saco, Maine. The win was one of five on the 11-race pari-mutuel program for driver Heath Campbell.
Shes A Maverick (Western Maverick-Fiber Art) took a $10,357 non-wagering division in 2:04.4 for trainer/driver John Nason and owner Carolyn Corso of Henderson, Nevada.
Live harness racing will return to Bangor Raceway on September 6.