Four $14,000-plus divisions of Maine Sire Stakes for trotters sloshed through the wet going at Farmington Fair on Monday, Sept. 18, including a pair of Ivan Davies-trained and driven prohibitive favourites that were ultimately barred from the wagering.
The folks in the fair’s mutuel department had such confidence that Wabanaki’s $15,166 Maine Sire Stakes for three-year-old male trotters would have a predictable outcome, that they instituted place and show wagering only and barred the pre-ordained winner from the betting pools.
Davies took a seat in the heavy going with the son of Boy Band and pulled his trusty steed out at the half to race uncovered through the third panel. At the head of the stretch, the gelding had gained some separation but had to fend off the late charge of 26-1 longshot Eustis (John Beckwith), who got within half a length of Wabanaki when they tripped the timer in a soggy 2:04.3.
Owned by Anita ‘Bunny’ Anastosopoulos-Andrew and bred by the late Mike Andrew, Wabanaki (pictured above) scored his sixth win of the season from nine starts.
Eustis paid $54 to place. Outlawofthevalley (Kevin Switzer Jr.) finished third.
In similar fashion, management determined that there would be no ‘wild endings’ in the $14,952 filly trot. Thus, Davies’ filly Wild Ending was unceremoniously barred from the wagering.
As expected, the dedicated daughter of Boy Band cruised coast to coast in 2:06.2 over the sloppy conditions to score by 4-3/4 lengths. Also owned by Anastosopoulos-Andrew and bred by the late Andrew, Wild Ending also won for the sixth time in nine seasonal starts.
B R Glory (Andy Harrington) finished second and paid $20 to place. Melanias Best (John Nason) was third.
Before the regular card, the two-year-old trotters had their day in the liquid sunshine, where Pembroke Breeze cruised to victory in the $14,367 Maine Sire Stakes for the frosh fillies.
Driven by Heath Campbell for trainer Valerie Grondin, the daughter of Pembroke Slugger made every call a winning one, scoring in 2:06 on a surface deemed ‘good.’ Twisted Venture (Mike Cushing) finished second and Bernies Legacy (Ivan Davies) was third.
The win was the third seasonal victory for Pembroke Breeze, who is owned and was bred by Bill Varney.
Varney’s ‘Pembroke’ moniker got another workout with Pembroke Will as that gelding took the $13,971 event for two-year-old male trotters in 2:10.1. Varney owns and bred that son of Pembroke Slugger who was also driven by Campbell for trainer Grondin.
Stablemate Chipper Dale (Grondin) made an uncharacteristic miscue and finished second.
The Maine Sire Stakes resumes at the Farmington Fair on Tuesday, Sept. 19 and continues through Wednesday, Sept. 20.
(With files from Maine Sire Stakes)