Bangor, ME — Driver Dan Deslandes closed out the Bangor Raceway summer meeting in grand style on Wednesday (July 17), visiting the historic Bass Park winner’s circle on four separate occasions while cementing his status as leading driver during the first of two seasonal meets which will be conducted at Bangor in 2024.

Three of Deslandes’ conquests came in gate-to-wire fashion with horses conditioned by Dan’s father, Jeffrey Deslandes. The elder Deslandes day’s work tied his stable with the Karl Butterfield outfit for meet’s leading trainer status with 24 wins apiece.

Dan Deslandes scored his first of four wins with Moonlightandroses on Wednesday. Hollianne Niles photo.

The winning Deslandes clan disciples included Moonlightandroses (1:57.4-$7.40), who executed a delayed rush to the top before extending out to an insurmountable early lead while claiming her 36th career victory; Next Big Thing (1:57.1-$4.80), who was never seriously threatened while dropping and popping to his fifth win of the year; and Woodrow F Call (1:56.1-$5.60) who began to pay immediate dividends for new connections after being claimed for $6,250 last week.

Deslandes’ lone catch-driving score came with Rolandpeg (2:00.1-$14.20), who went a huge overland journey, racing first-up forever, before willing her way to the wire on top for Maritimes-based trainer Stephen Mason. The win was one of two training victories on the card for Mason.

In other Bangor news, driver David Ingraham was the only other multiple winner on the twilight program. The veteran teamster engineered winning trips for K D Overdrive (1:58-$9.80), the other winning entry from the Stephen Mason roster, and Cruizin The Night (1:56-$17.20) for trainer James Dunn, with both winning horses claiming their second consecutive scores.

Racing along Maine’s northern circuit now turns to the Bangor State Fair which will hold its first harness racing session in over 30 years. The rejuvenated fair meet will conduct its sole program on Thursday (July 25) with post time slated for 5 p.m. (EDT) and will be available for watching and wagering along Bangor Raceway’s regular simulcast network.

Maine Sire Stakes action will be featured at the Bangor State Fair session as the 3-year-old colt pacers take center stage in anticipated twin splits for planned purses in excess of $16,000 per dash.

Following the Bangor State Fair meet, the fairground circuit will swing into action at the Topsham Fairgrounds with five sessions of racing spread out over the week beginning Aug. 4.

For those not able to come to the track, wagering and live video on Bangor Raceway, as well as hundreds of harness and Thoroughbred racetracks across the world, is available on Hollywood Races at www.hollywoodraces.com.

For complete information regarding live racing, simulcast wagering, gaming, dining and hotel accommodations at Bangor’s Hollywood Casino and Raceway, please visit the website at www.hollywoodcasinobangor.com.