Topsham, ME — Driver Bruce Ranger provided the exclamation point to an exciting week of racing as the 171st meeting at the Topsham Fair came to a successful conclusion on Saturday (August 9) when the winner of 10,577 career races added three more top-tallies to his impressive credentials while also taking top honors in the annual $6500 Topsham Fair Open.
Ranger maneuvered So Rock N’ Roll to break fourth from the second tier as the open field fanned off the gate, setting up camp immediately behind the post time favorite, Always A Miki (Nick Graffam), as the entire field acquiesced to the uber-classy Always At My Place (Kevin Switzer, Jr).
Once clear to the lead, Switzer conjured deviously soft fractions for this class of horse, allowed to the quarter in a pedestrian :29.1 before shrugging off eventual pressure from Always A Miki and So Rock N’ Roll, while strolling to the half in a Sunday in the park sort of 1:00.1.
“It was a confusing race” Ranger remarked, “I think we were all caught off guard by the slow pace up front. I tried to flush Always A Miki but Miki refused to be flushed. Just as I was resigning to a first over trip, he finally flushed and carried me effectively into the last turn”.
The tempo quickened into a more respectable :58 back-half as the 14-year-old millionaire pacer, Always At My Place, dug in on the lead. But the outer flow proved an overwhelming obstacle as So Rock N’ Roll slingshotted off the final turn to eke out the half-length victory over Always A Miki and Call Me Maverick (Michael Stevenson) who rallied for third.
Always At My Place reluctantly finished fourth in a four-way photo.
“We go the win, it wasn’t pretty the way the race set up but he certainly raced better today” Ranger concluded, “ We’re having a challenge getting his back to the form where he won 13 races last year but he’s getting there”.
A five-year-old Maine-bred son of Western Maverick, So Rock N’ Roll paid $18.80 to win while scoring the 1:58.1 victory for trainer Benson Merrill and owner Leighton Property.
The win was his 28th from 65 career starts.
In other Topsham news, Coach Cutsinger (Nick Graffam) recorded the fastest mile of the 2025 meeting, taking the Saturday finale in a brisk 1:56.1 for trainer Randy Bickmore and owner Kevin Gee. And in a testament to the expert track conditions at the Topsham fairground oval, all nine of Saturday’s pari-mutuel races went in 1:59.1 or faster.
Kevin Switzer, Jr, who was held to only one win on Saturday after scoring three consecutive driving triples to open up the Topsham meet, was crowned 2025 driving champion at the mid-coast Maine venue while Andy Harrington and Autym Sowers finished tied for top conditioner honors with five wins apiece.
Maine’s harness racing circuit now transitions to the Skowhegan State Fair which opens its 207th consecutive meeting on Sunday (August 10). Racing will be featured on Sunday and Monday with a 1:00 pm (EDT) post time. Action will then head under the lights on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday when post time moves to 7:00 pm, before returning to 1:00 pm afternoon sessions to close out the meeting on Friday and Saturday.
For those not able to come to the track, wagering on the Skowhegan Fair will be available on most major wagering platforms including Hollywood Races at www.hollywoodraces.com as well as at all state of Maine off track betting parlors.
The video for Skowhegan’s races will be live-streamed on YouTube at www.youtube.com/@mainefairharnessracing and the live audio of Skowhegan’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