Two $15,900-plus divisions of the Maine Sire Stakes for two-year-old filly pacers rolled through Cumberland Raceway on Sunday, July 27, with both distaffs taking new records in the process.
In the first $15,922 division Snowonthepines (pictured above) made every call a winning one, with nary an anxious moment, en route to a 2:01.4 new lifetime record while winning by 2-1/2 lengths. Perfectly Lovely (Aaron Hall) finished second; Shes A Firefly (Nick Graffam) was third.
Driven by Kevin Switzer Jr. for trainer Marc Tardif and owner/breeder Leighton Property, the daughter of Dudes The Man has now secured three straight victories in her division and sits comfortably atop the point standings.
She paid $3.00 to win.
Switzer also got pay dirt in the $16,163 MSS division with McKenna Jeanne, scoring in wire-to-wire fashion and holding on by a neck in a new career best of 2:03. Ekorus (Nick Graffam) sat a pocket trip and closed strongly and got up to the victor’s head check to be second. Dudelookslikeafily (McGwire Sowers) finished third.
Trained by Gary Hall for owner/breeder Bill McElvain Jr., the daughter of Dudes The Man paid $4.20 in her first stakes victory.
Several $8,219 End of Summer Pop Up series legs were contested, with legs going to Royalty Again (1:57.1, $13.00); Miki De Vie (1:57.3, $2.60); Commondiscourtesy (1:57.3, $7.40) and Prince Bayard (1:57, $3.40) on the pacing side. Trotting legs went to Devious Valentine (2:02.1, $5.40) and Gemstone Pillar (2:02.1, $5.00). The finals will race for $8,000 USD each on Saturday’s (Aug. 2) closing day.
Ryan Berry won the $5,479 Maine Amateur Driving Club with his own Juneparker in 2:00.2, paying $4.00.
A relative tsunami of Maine-bred trotters converged on Cumberland Raceway on Saturday, July 26, with six $15,000-plus divisions of the Maine Sire Stakes for the two- and three-year-old diagonally gaited sets.
Last year’s freshman trotting champion, Whatawonder, made his sophomore debut in his $16,405 division, after missing the first four weeks of the series. Regular pilot Ken Watson put the son of Whataworkout on the lead where the heretofore unbeaten gelding likes to be placed.
However, by the third station, Libertys Wildcard — this year’s star with the unblemished record — had other intentions. Driver Kevin Switzer Jr. asked his charge to look the pacesetter right in the eye, and went right on by. Lengthening his lead with every stride, Libertys Wildcard rolled on to win by 3-3/4 lengths in 2:02, a new lifetime best.
Trained by Marc Tardif for owner Leighton Property, the son of Noble Venture scored his fifth consecutive victory. The divisional leader was bred by Jerry Stratton Jr. and paid $5.40.
In the first of two $15,700-plus divisions of the Maine Sire Stakes for three-year-old trotting fillies Little Shot (Ivan Davies) sat a perfect two-hole trip behind Race Me Bombshell (Drew Campbell) and took their shot down the backstretch. Ultimately, Little Shot overpowered the pacesetter to score by a length in 2:03.2, a seasonal mark and first win of the year. Heavy 1-5 favourite Barbella (Bruce Ranger) recovered from several miscues to be third.
Also trained by Ivan Davies, the winning daughter of Noble Venture is owned and was bred by Dr. Douglass Hutchins. She returned $4.40 to win.
In the second division for sophomore trotting fillies even money favourite Twisted Fate (Mike Cushing) cruised to a wire-to-wire romp in a lifetime best 2:04 by more than 10 open lengths. Pandemic Princess (Heath Campbell) finished second; Belabelle (Eric Bickmore) was third.
Trained by Mike Cushing for owners / breeders Mike Graham and Nelson DiPompo Jr., the daughter of Whataworkout paid $4.20.
The virtual tornado of trotting bloodstock resulted in half the day’s program dedicated to the Pine Tree State-bred dynamos, with all divisions of freshman trotters also up for grabs.
The $15,416 Maine Sire Stakes for two-year-old trotting fillies was captured by Hayden ($6.00), who went from pillar to post from pylon position for trainer driver Gary Hall in 2:06, a new lifetime best.
Owned and bred by Stephen Hall, Hayden's only anxious moment came from Our Last Quote (Steve Wilson) who got to within a head of the pacesetter as the duo matched strides down the homestretch. Hayden, a daughter of Cantab Fashion, prevailed by three parts of a length over Out Last Quote. Nobella (Ken Watson) finished third.
Pembroke Lady (Heath Campbell) went a virtual training mile for conditioner Valerie Grondin in the $15,656 MSS division for two-year-old trotting fillies, scoring in a new lifetime best of 2:07.4. She was four lengths better than Roseapple Ave (Wally Watson) with Race Me Boomer (Bill Childs) third.
Bred by the late Bill Varney and owned by Brenda Varney, the winning daughter of Pembroke Slugger paid $2.20.
Heavy 1-9 favourite Wilder N Idy also had things his own way in the freshman colt split for driver Mark Athearn and trainer Gretchen Athearn, winning by half of the length of the stretch in 2:03.4 to shavefour full seconds off his previous lifetime best. Guss Workout (Heath Campbell) finished second; Trottinfortreasure (Switzer Jr.) was third.
Owned by Patrick Leavitt and bred by the late Mike Andrew, the unbeaten son of Cantab Fashion paid $2.20 to win.
Racing resumes on Friday (Aug. 1) at 3:15 p.m, and will continue through the final day of the Summer meet Saturday (Aug. 2), which features a full card simulcast of the Hambletonian from The Meadowlands and the $25,000 USD Pine Tree Invitational Pace.
(with files from Cumberland)