Windsor, ME – Long shots ruled at the Windsor Fair on Sunday (Aug. 24) with only three post time favorites claiming victories during the afternoon card.
But no one delivered better value to the bettors than driver Michael Stevenson whose wins aboard Oceanview Echo ($25), Rojas Blue Chip ($24.60), and Beyond The Past ($28.80) paid telephone numbers while repeatedly lighting up the infield board.
Oceanview Echo (1:57.3) left aggressively, taking her preferred pike route through blazing fractions, reaching the half in :57.3 and rolling to the three-quarter-pole in an eye-popping 1:26.2. The early speed took its toll though as she decelerated into a :31.1 final panel but despite the shortening of stride, held enough in reserve to post a 1-1/2 length score.
The win was the first of the season for the Dana Whittemore owned and trained mare.
“She really hasn’t been herself so far this season but she’s always done her best work on the lead so we just let her roll,” Stevenson remarked. “She’d been off for three weeks and I wasn’t sure how tight she’d be, but she was certainly good enough today.”
Rojas Blue Chip (1:59.2), who Stevenson trains for owner David Del Pozzo, took the opposite strategy. Breaking fifth in the eight-horse field, Stevenson had been shuffled back to seventh before tipping three wide with cover at the three-quarter pole. From that seemingly impossible position, Stevenson fanned Rojas Blue Chip four-wide around the final turn before rallying to the wire to secure the improbable win by a head.
“The way the trip worked out today, we really got lucky” mused Stevenson, “She’s usually a front-end kind of horse, but we just couldn’t get there today. The fractions worked out in our favor though and she closed gamely.“
Beyond The Past (1:57.3) capped the hat trick for Stevenson, racing second-over from the midway point, generating a fleet :28.3 final panel, and slingshotting off the final turn to nab the 1/2-length victory.
The win was the fourth of the season and second in-a-row for the son of JK Endofanera who is trained by Robert Marston for owner John Di Antonio, Jr.
“I don’t mind coming to see you at all,” Stevenson joked as he was welcomed back to the winner’s circle by Mix Maine Media radio emcee, Mike Violette, “We took him off the pace today from the poor post position, made our move up the backstretch, and got around some tired horses”.
While Stevenson was quick to credit fortunate trips and the ability of his horses, it takes serious skill to put one’s charges in position to maximize success. And with 2,169 career wins to his credit, Stevenson has that quality in spades – triple spades on Sunday.
Windsor’s nine-day race meet continues on Monday (Aug. 25) with a 3 p,.m. post time and will continue on a daily basis through Labor Day with the exception of Wednesday (Aug. 27), which will be dark. Weekend post times will be at 1 p.m. (EDT) while the weekday cards will commence at 3 p.m.
Windsor’s marquee events, the $15,000 Windsor Fair Invitational Pace and the $10,000 T.R. Dillon Logging Open Trot, will be held on Saturday (Aug. 30) and Monday (Sept. 1), respectively.
For those not able to come to the track, wagering on the Windsor 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 Windsor’s races will be live-streamed on YouTube at www.youtube.com/@mainefairharnessracing and the live audio of Windsor’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.