Under sunny skies and high temperatures, Maine’s sophomore pacing fillies scored some fast miles on Monday’s (Sept. 4) final day of racing at Windsor Fair.
Held prior to the regular card, a pair of $14,000-plus Maine Sire Stakes divisions produced equal winning times for the victorious fillies, both of whom took the most direct route to the winner's circle.
In the first match-up, Pickmepickme was all business and won the $14,459 split in decisive fashion.
Scoring from post three, driver Andy Harrington and Pickmepickme had to contend with the hard-charging Justcallmemimi (Walter Case Jr.) to overtake the lead past the :29 opening panel. With the rest of the field comfortably at bay from there, Harrington rolled the Western Maverick filly through evenly rated fractions of :58.1 and 1:27.3 while gaining separation with every stride. As the finish line drew closer, the contenders slipped away from Pickmepickme, who triumphed in 1:57.2 by three open lengths. Justcallmemimi finished second and Baileys Rock Star (McGuire Sowers) was third.
Owned, trained and bred by Marc Tardif, Pickmepickme picked up her 12th lifetime victory, which boosted her career bankroll to $132,378.
The second $14,684 division for three-year-old pacing fillies was captured by South St Dottie (pictured above) in a wire-to-wire thriller.
Driver Aaron Hall had the daughter of Western Maverick out and rolling from her pylon starting position and had 2-1/4 lengths on the field at the :28 first quarter. While settling into a softer :58 half, the aggressor, Katelyns Angel (Kevin Switzer Jr.), who came into the day on a five-race win streak, was ranging up on the outside to make a bid for the top. At the 1:27.4 third panel, the pair were matching strides while side by side. But the final turn helped South St Dottie keep Katelyns Angel a few steps back, which was just enough to hold off any late brushes to win by a length in 1:57.2. La Mambacita (Scott McKenzie) finished third.
The time was a new lifetime best for South St Dottie, who earned her seventh stakes win of the season and pushed her lifetime earnings to $101,999. She is trained by Mike Graffam and owned and bred by Jan Donoway.
The Maine Sire Stakes returns to Bangor Raceway on Wednesday, Sept. 6 with two $14,000-plus divisions for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings. Looking ahead, Bangor hosts the freshman pacing fillies on Sunday, Sept. 16 before transitioning over to the Farmington Fair the week of Sept. 17.
(With files from Maine Sire Stakes)