The two top sophomore pacing fillies displayed their divisional dominance by each taking a $23,563 division of the Maine Sire Stakes on Wednesday, Sept 24 at the Cumberland Fair.
In the opener, driver Nick Graffam was content to allow 1-5 favourite Chasing Dudes to ease into the four-hole while Whisper Of Luck (Andy Harrington) blasted out for the lead and did all the heavy lifting on the front end. The pacesetter put up fractions of :29.4 and 1:00.1 and 1:29.1 while opening up five lengths on the rest of the field. Down the backside, and with plenty of ground to recover, Chasing Dudes moved off the pegs first-over to challenge for the lead. The daughter of Dudes The Man-Caviart Caterina had her work cut out for her but managed to catch Whisper Of Luck by mid-stretch. The pair battled down to the wire with Chasing Dudes prevailing by three parts of a length in 1:59.1. Lysiun (Ron Cushing) finished third.
Chasing Dudes is trained by Mike Graffam, who co-owns with breeder Bob Marston of New Gloucester, Maine. A 10-time career winner with more than $235,000 in earnings, she's won six of her 10 sophomore starts -- this being her fourth straight. She paid $2.40 to win.
Chasing Dudes heads to the sophomore finals at Bangor Raceway on Oct. 11 as the season’s second-leading point winner in the division.
Leanne Marie, who sits atop that same leaderboard, also displayed her group governance as driver Mike Cushing sent her on a pillar-to-post tour of the Cumberland facility, tripping the timer in a pedestrian 2:01.1. She set fractions of :30.4, 1:02.2 and 1:31.4 before holding off pocket-pursuer Glorilla (Aaron Hall) by half a length. Ruff Dudes Jena (Dave Ingraham) finished third.
Leanne Marie is trained by Charlene ‘Sherry’ Cushing, who co-owns and shares breeder credit with partners Pamela Smith of Weld, Maine and Jane DiPompo of Jay, Maine. A career winner of more than $155,000 in purses, the daughter of Artistic Fella-Zoe Blue Chip now has nine lifetime wins with seven of those coming this year from 11 starts. Notching her third in a row, she returned $2.60 to win. Based upon how the filly draws, she will likely be the favourite for the upcoming final on Oct. 11.
Driver Kevin Switzer Jr. led all drivers on the nine-race afternoon program with five wins.
‘Double-Digit’ Dave Ingraham lived up to his Gabe Prewitt-bestowed moniker by scoring with local star Airspinder in a $7,123 conditioned pace and paying a whopping $105.60. Owned and trained by David Sawyer, the nine-year-old gelded son of No Spin Zone-Davids Art went from next to last in the octet to first, clocking the mile in 1:57.2 and earning his 36th lifetime victory.
(With files from First Tracks Cumberland; photo of Chasing Dudes winning on Sept. 24)