The battle for Maine Sire Stakes supremacy continued on Sunday, Aug. 30, with Real Horrorshow starring in the sophomore male pacing division when the Pine Tree State-breds invaded the historic Windsor Fair.
Two Maine Sire Stakes divisions for sophomore male pacers were contested as non-wagering events before the card.
The day's second $24,214 stakes race was a battle of the big shots as point leaders Daytoremember and Real Horrorshow drew into the same division. As is usually the case, driver Kevin Switzer Jr. sent post three starter Real Horrorshow right out to the front, where the son of Dudes The Man likes to be. Daytoremember and Heath Campbell had post five and got away fourth in a :29.4 first quarter.
As Real Horrorshow took the field to a 1:00.2 half, Campbell tipped Daytoremember to the outside, enjoying the cover of the Joey Mosher-driven Dudes The Jet. The field became stacked up at the 1:29.4 third stanza with three in and three out as the pacers tried to close in on the pacesetter.
At the head of the stretch, Real Horrorshow was able to gain some separation, while Daytoremember swooped the fading horses into second and closed in on the leader. With identical :28.3 final quarters, both horses showed solid pace, but it was Real Horrorshow who reigned supreme by 1-1/4 lengths in 1:58.2. Silence Ofdarkness and Aaron Hall finished third.
Grabbing his sixth win of the season in eight starts following a undefeated rookie campaign in Maine, Real Horrorshow increased his lifetime earnings to $215,374. He is trained by Kevin Switzer, Sr. who co-owns as part of KDK Standardbreds. Kathleen Mofield of Bedford, Massachusetts and Anthony Sivik Jr. of Orono, Maine also share ownership of the Maine star.
Real Horrorshow is now tied at 350 points with Daytoremember in their divisional point standings. Both are six-time winners with a pair of runner-up finishes.
Aside from Daytoremember, the only other horse to beat Real Horrorshow was the Marc Tardiff-trained Rebels Revenge, who picked up his first win since that mid-June score in Sunday's other $24,214 split.
Rebels Revenge and driver Aaron Hall took the lead outside of stablemate Ghost Of Winter and Joey Mosher at the :28.4 quarter and cleared to command. The son of Deuce Seelster got softer middle splits of 1:00 and 1:31 before Hall gave his charge the cue around the final turn and the gelding responded with a :28.4 final quarter, holding off the late charge of Ghost Of Winter to win by a neck in 1:59.4. Quint Asper and McGwire Sowers finished third in the field reduced to four after a pair of scratches.
Tardif also owns Rebels Revenge, who increased his career bankroll to $75,310. The gelding is now three-for-10 this season, including his two Sire Stakes victories, after a winless nine-race rookie campaign.
(With files from Maine Sire Stakes; photo of Real Horrorshow winning on Aug. 30)