Once again, First Tracks Cumberland welcomes the Maine Sire Stakes for two-year-old Pine Tree State-bred harness horses on Saturday, Sept. 28, which is being held on the final day of the 152nd Cumberland Fair.
The first final for two-year-old pacing fillies is probably the most competitive on paper. The current point leader Chasing Dudes (3-1, Nick Graffam) leaves from post seven, giving her combatants Whisper Of Luck (2-1, Kevin Switzer Jr.) and Leanne Marie (5-2, Mike Cushing) a distinct advantage from post one and two respectively.
Leanne Marie comes into the race off a win in the final leg of the series, and also the fastest record (2:01.3) which she took at Farmington on Sept. 17. The homebred daughter of Artistic Fella is trained by Charlene ‘Sherry’ Cushing, who also co-owns with owners-breeders Pamela Smith and Jane Dipompo.
The rookie filly trotters have Pandemic Princess as their point leader, who hails from the powerful Valerie Grondin Stable and gets the services of Heath Campbell. Fresh off a win at Farmington, the daughter of Whataworkout was bred by Lynn-Marie Plouffe, who still maintains ownership. She will score from post six and is listed at 5-2.
The early morning line favourite in that division is Blizzards Fury (2-1, Switzer) who also hails from a powerful stable in the Tardif Taskforce. Despite early-mile miscues, she regularly regains her composure and trots home with purpose to be 1-2-3 in nearly every start.
While the Maine-bred fillies seem to be evenly matched, the boys are led by a distinct standout in their divisional battles.
The sidestepping colt and gelding pacers have been chasing Massive Speed (6-5, Walter Case Jr.) all season long. The son of Dudes The Man brings an unblemished record of nine wins in nine starts to the contest, and leaves from post two. He sports a mark of 1:58 at Bangor, is trained by Marc Tardif, owned by Leighton Property, and was bred in Maine by Laurie Harding.
Several of the race’s top contenders also hail from the Tardif Taskforce, as Marc and Peggy have five in this final. Due to a favourable post position, Valerie Grondin’s Keenan Star (5-2, Heath Campbell) also has a punchers change at divisional glory.
Like his pacing counterpart, Whatawonder (pictured above) has dominated his male trotting division. A son of Whataworkout, the Lisa Watson-trained wunderkind has a perfect 9-for-9 record.
Ken Watson has driven the gelding perfectly all season for owner-breeder Barbara Watson, and is the even money favourite from post six. While the talented high-stepper has never seen the back of a helmet, a few would-be spoilers are poised to pounce should any there be any unforeseen opportunities.
Liberty’s Wildcard (9-5, Switzer) has seven second-place finishes behind the divisional leader, and has gotten to Whatawonder’s wheel on several occasions. Stable mate Katahdin Victor (3-1, Wally Watson) also knows the top dog’s tricks and could be right there also.
The full card of harness racing action begins at 1 p.m., with the four $100,000-plus Maine Sire Stakes events being carded as races two, four, six and eight on the 12-race program.
Including the Maine Sire Stakes, First Tracks Cumberland has added several pop-up series finals to the day’s festivities, bringing the total purses on the program to more than $500,000. The track is also holding its popular Cumberland Derby where fans can enter to win up to $500 by picking the correct race winner.
(Maine Sire Stakes)