While winning races is nothing new for veteran conditioner Valerie Grondin, driving the three-year-old male trotter Chipper Dale to victory on is also familiar territory.
Grondin, who has amassed 2,256 victories and more than $11 million in purse earnings as a trainer, decided to get back in the bike on Friday (September 20) at the Farmington Fair and pick up where she left off last season. The Maine native had been riding a five-race win streak with the son of Shake It Off Lindy-Bibbidi Boo when the colt was two, just one year ago.
In fact, Grondin picked up her 500th career driving victory at the 2023 Windsor Fair with Chipper Dale. The pair ended up finishing second at Farmington the following week.
Earlier this season, trainer Grondin decided to hand the lines over to veteran reinsman Drew Campbell. The Maritime native is the brother of Grondin’s partner Heath Campbell, and seems to get along well with the gelding, having won six of nine races with him this year.
But that all changed this year at Farmington where Grondin stated, “Drew is lucky that I let him drive Chip!”
She added with a chuckle, “He hasn’t ruined him, yet!”
So, with Winston ‘Drew’ Campbell racing at Plainridge Park on Friday, Grondin was pleased to get back behind the Lynn-Marie Plouffe-owned and bred winner of $172,222 in purse earnings.
Leaving from post three, Grondin was content to let Chipper Dale follow stablemate Pembroke Will (Heath Campbell) through the first two panels (:31.4, 1:03) in the non-wagering event. She pulled first over going to the third stanza in 1:34 and proceeded to draw off from the field to win by five lengths in 2:03.3.
“I was very happy to drive him [at Farmington]. Chip is very handy and needs a light hand,” Grondin noted. “He loves his job.”
The score gave sophomore trotter Chipper Dale career win number 13, and for Grondin it was driving win number 501. She is now 1-1 and batting 1.000 for the season.
In that event Pembroke Will finished second, and Carrabassett (Mark Athearn) was third.
Grondin and Plouffe got another victory on the day’s program as Chipper Dale’s two-year-old half-sister Pandemic Princess got back to her winning ways. The daughter of Whataworkout raced parked-out for the last half-mile to score in 2:07 for driver Heath Campbell.
Blizzards Fury (Kevin Switzer Jr.) cut fractions of 32, and 1:04.2 to half, prompting Campbell to come first over and challenge for the lead. By the 1:36.2 third panel ‘Princess’ was poised to pounce and charged home in 30 seconds to win by a length over the pacesetter. She paid $9.20 to win, picking up the third victory in her young career. Grondin returned to the winner's circle with tears of joy to celebrate the victory.
Barbella (Walter Case Jr.) finished third.
The distaff sophomore trotting class witnessed Bernies Legacy scoring a pocket trip triumph for driver Dave Ingraham in 2:08, while breaking her maiden and giving her a new lifetime mark. It was the filly’s first win in 17 lifetime starts, as she had been first or second in ten previous outings.
Trained by David Crochere for owner Teri Toubeau, the three-year-old daughter of Shake It Off Lindy was also bred by Lynn-Marie Plouffe, which was her third Maine Sire Stakes breeder win of the afternoon.
Pacesetter My Saving Grace (Mark Athearn) finished second, Twisted Venture (Mike Cushing) was third in that non-bettor.
To no one’s surprise, freshman trotting sensation Whatawonder continued his reign of terror, securing his tenth straight victory and bringing an unblemished record into the two-year-old finals next week at Cumberland.
Driven by Ken Watson for trainer Lisa Watson and owner-breeder Barbara Lawson, the son of Whataworkout rolled to a wire-to-wire, length and a quarter victory in 2:04.1. He paid $2.80 to win, and now has $71,573 on his card.
Libertys Wildcard (Switzer) finished second; Katahdin Victor (Wally Watson) was third.
The four trotting events of the Maine Sire Stakes each carried $26,000-plus in purses.
The Maine-bred action resumes at the Cumberland Fair with three-year-old sire stakes racing starting on Wednesday (Sept. 25) and culminating with the Freshmen Finals on Saturday (Sept. 28).
(Maine Sire Stakes)