Unbeaten three-year-old pacing filly Snowonthepines continued her reign of supremacy in the Maine Sire Stakes at the Skowhegan State Fair on Wednesday, Aug. 19.
With the $23,901 first division carded as an early, non-wagering race, racing fans enjoyed a beautiful twilight evening of racing, with Snowonthepines as the opening act while displaying her familiar pillar-to-post style.
Driver Kevin Switzer Jr. put the daughter of Dudes The Man-Snow Cone A right on point in a sharp :29 opening panel. As has been the norm in previous outings, Just Delightful (Ron Cushing) occupied a tight pocket seat as the field was carried to a :58.4 midway marker, with no outer flow developing. Past the third station in 1:28.4, it did not appear that anyone would challenge the undisputed divisional leader. As she floated around the turn and appeared poised for her 16th career victory, her disciples followed along in single file fashion. Snowonethepines tripped the timer in 1:57.1, just two-fifths of a second off the track record for sophomore fillies, for her seventh consecutive seasonal victory. Just Delightful finished second by 1-1/2 lengths and Shes A Firefly (Aaron Hall) rounded out the top three.
Snowonthepines, who was also victorious in all nine of her races as a rookie, has banked $213,550 in lifetime earnings for trainer Marc Tardif and owner/breeder Leighton Property of Waterboro, Maine.
In the other $24,214 division for three-year-old pacing fillies, which was held on the regular program, Heymickeyyousofine showed that she is no ‘one hit wonder’ as the daughter of Dudes The Man-Mickey Blu picked up her second straight Sire Stakes victory.
Driver Heath Campbell left swiftly from post four with Heymickeyyousofine, but not swiftly enough to beat Dudelookslikeafily to the lead as driver Aaron Hall had that filly off the “Wes Brown gate of renown” and on top in short order. The quick-footed early leaver stung Heymickeyyousofine to a :29.1 opening panel, but Heymickeyyousofine was able to clear by the time the field reached the half in 1:00.2. Past the paddock turn the final time, Kevin Switzer Jr. tipped Perfectly Lovely to the outside and was the only horse on the rim as the field rolled through the third stanza in 1:31.2. Around the final turn and at the head of the stretch, Ekorus (Nick Graffam) had gotten to within three parts of a length of the pacesetter and was poised to pounce. Seeing the threat, and with plenty left in the tank, Campbell chirped to his charge and she responded by putting 2-1/2 lengths between her and her would-be challengers. Heymickeyyousofine cruised home in 2:00.1 with a :28.4 final quarter kicker. Ekorus finished second and Graceofspades (Dave Ingraham) was third.
Heymickeyyousofine, now three-for-nine on the season to boost her career bankroll to $65,508, is trained by Steve Vafiades and owned by Jason Vafiades of Freeport, Maine. She returned $5 to her backers at the betting windows.
Maine’s fabled fairground circuit has long served as the proving ground for aspiring harness racing drivers, providing a bevy of first win experiences for many of the sport’s top rated teamsters. Nationally noted stars like Jason Bartlett, Bruce Ranger, Billy Parker Jr., and Gary Mosher all earned their stripes and first tasted victory on the rural ovals scattered across the Pine Tree State, and on Wednesday, it was 17-year-old Carl Wharton IV’s turn to make that first triumphant trip back to the Skowhegan State Fair winner's circle.
Leaving alertly from the inside wing in a $6,667 Maine Amateur Driving Club race, Wharton insistently secured the prime pocket journey with Quatrain Blue Chip, drafting tightly behind the front-stepping Circling The Prey (Joseph Burke), whose determined pace carried Wharton’s charge all the way to the head of the stretch. After patiently surviving a first-over challenge from Fox Valley Ren (Marianna Monaco), which pinned Wharton to the pylons, and a late, deep, three-wide rally bid from the 14-year-old Grand Galop Semalu (Derek Howes), Wharton finally found clearance to tip his charge toward a mid-stretch drive, eventually coasting to a 1-1/2-length margin timed in an under wraps 1:58.2.
The win was the third of the season in 12 starts for Quatrain Blue Chip, a 10-year-old Somebeachsomewhere-Frontierpan gelding who is trained by Marianna Monaco for owners Debra Vermette and Sarah Kimball, both of Oakland, Maine.
Wharton’s premier driving win came after only seven career starts in his very first year appearing as a QF driver. And with four pari-mutuel fair meets remaining on the Maine calendar following Skowhegan, this may well not be the last we hear from Wharton this season.
(With files from Maine Sire Stakes & Skowhegan Fair; photo of Snowonthepines from a previous win)