Topsham, ME — Trainer Autym Sowers held the hot hand on an idyllic mid-summer afternoon at the Topsham Fair on Wednesday (August 6), sending four of her charges to frolic around the mid-coast Maine fairground and returning home with three top tallies to add to her stable’s state-wide leading skein.
Miss You Big Mike (1:59.3-$9) got the party started after settling in third during the early going with driver Bruce Ranger handling the lines. Just prior to the half, Ranger maneuvered his charge into his favored first-over assault position, gaining the lead around the final bend and then powering through the lane to post the 3-3/4-length margin.
The win marked the 39th career score for the ten-year-old son of He’s Gorgeous who is owned by Mo Coo, Inc.
“I’ve known this horse over the years and today’s race set up perfectly for him” Ranger remarked, “The racing in Maine these days is so competitive that you just need to take advantage of whatever they give you. He raced good today”.
She’s A Sassy Beach (1:59.2-$7.20) was next to the trenches, scoring her second win-in-a-row through a determined front-end romp which featured a competition deterring :59.2 back-half.
The win was the fifth of the season for the seven-year-old daughter of Sunshine Beach who is owned by trainer Sowers.
“She likes the front end, got the lead quick, and then she did the rest” said driver Shawn Thayer, “Autym and McGwire do a fine job with their horses. It was a privilege to drive her today”.
Driver Kevin Switzer, Jr delivered the triple for Sowers on Thursday, just as he completed yet another driving triple for himself, rallying Smarty’s Filly (2:00.3-$11.60) from last to first over the course of the final half-mile, to notch her second win of the season for co-owners McGwire and Autym Sowers.
“The early fractions were quick so I figured we’d have a shot late – and we did” Switzer said, “She got pretty brave when clearance opened up”.
With three sessions completed at the Topsham Fair meeting, Kevin Switzer, Jr remains top dog at the fairground oval boasting three consecutive driving triples to amass his meet leading nine top tallies. Heath Campbell, his closest rival, remains within close contact with six scores to his credit, with an opportunity to advance as Switzer abandons the fairground circuit to compete at Plainridge Racecourse on Thursday.
Racing resumes at the Topsham Fair with a ten-race program beginning at 3:00 p.m. (EDT) on Thursday (August 7). The program will feature two $11,812 splits of Maine Sire Stakes action for three-year-old colt pacers with the first division to be contested as a non-wagering event scheduled to start at 2:45 p.m.
For those not able to come to the track, wagering on the Topsham Fair, as well as hundreds of harness and thoroughbred racetracks across the world, will be available on Hollywood Races at www.hollywoodraces.com as well as at all state of Maine off track betting parlors.
The video for Topsham’s races will be live-streamed on YouTube at www.youtube.com/@mainefairharnessracing and the live audio of Topsham’s cards will be available along the online radio network of Mix Maine Media at The Mix 107.9 FM, True Country 93.5 FM, and THE Score 1160 AM as well as online at www.mixmaine.com