Skowhegan, ME – Maine’s growing family of 2- and 3-year-old trotters found their way to the Skowhegan State Fair on Thursday (Aug. 20), with all the usual suspects up to their same tricks.
Three of the four $17,000-plus divisions of the Maine Sire Stakes were held before the regular card at Skowhegan, starting with the 2-year-old trotting fillies.
In that first early Maine Sire Stakes it was another easy victory for Princess Caledonia, who led every step of the way to win handily in 2:07.1 by 1-1/2 lengths, padding her account to $36,966.
Co-owned, trained and driven by Gary Hall, the daughter of To The Hilt picked up her fourth seasonal win. Also owned by James Kelly Jr., Betsey Kelley and Kristina Hall, she was bred by Anita Anastosopoulos.
Cape Cod Friday (driven by Dave Ingraham) stayed close to the action and finished second; stablemate Mikella Belle was third.
In the second $17,008 Maine Sire Stakes, for 3-year-old trotting colts and geldings, once again it was driver Heath Campbell who sent Gus’s Workout to the front with Trottinfortreasure (Kevin Switzer Jr.) ducking in the two-hole. Wilder N Idy (Mark Athearn) got away third as they hit the opening panel in a :31.1 in the fading twilight sun.
Gus’s Workout seemed pretty comfortable on the engine as Campbell rolled his charge to a 1:01.4 half. As has been his practice, when the pacesetters passed the third station in 1:32, Athearn had tipped Wilder N Idy to the outside to advance his position.
When the field hit the head of the stretch, Wilder N Idy had improved to second with Gus’s Workout going off stride. Down the lane, Wilder N Idy had the momentum and clear sailing to the wire, scoring in 2:01.3 and holding off the late charge of Trottinfortreasure by a quarter-length.
Trained by Gretchen Athearn for owner Patricia Leavitt, the son of To The Hilt picked up his fifth win of the season. Bred by the late Mike Andrew, he now has 13 wins lifetime with $152,622 earned.
Gus’s Workout finished third.
In the third early $17,135 Maine Sire Stakes dash, for 2-year-old trotting colts and geldings, it was another typical wire-to-wire tour of the facility for the Watsons’ U Know I Know.
Ken Watson steered the son of Whataworkout to his fifth consecutive win in a lifetime-best-equaling 2:05.1, prevailing by 5-1/2 lengths over Pembroke Zagursky (Heath Campbell).
Trained by Lisa Watson for owner-breeder Barbara Lawson, the unbeaten divisional star now has $38,811 on his card in five lifetime starts.
Stablemate Race Me Bruno (Wally Watson) finished third.
In the final $17,261 division, raced as the opener on the pari-mutuel card, once again it was filly sensation Hayden, who has been virtually unstoppable since mid-July.
Trainer-driver Gary Hall controlled the tempo early with a :31.1 opening panel, sending the daughter of Cantab Fashion to a steady 1:02.1 half. Our Last Quote (Mike Cushing) was poised in the garden seat, while Race Me Boomer (Andy Harrington) tipped first-over into a 1:33.4 third panel.
With the outer flow fading and Hall giving his star filly her head, the duo trotted home in :29.2 to a half-length victory over the pocket-sitting Our Last Quote in 2:03.1.
Owned and bred by Stephen Hall, it was the sixth seasonal victory for Hayden and her eighth lifetime, as she increased her bankroll to $94,101. She returned $3 on a two-dollar win ticket.
Race Me Boomer finished third.
Looking ahead, the harness racing action continues at Skowhegan over the weekend as the “State Fair” moves to matinee cards. The freshman sidesteppers close out the weeklong meet with the 2-year-old pacing fillies on Friday (Aug. 21) and their male counterparts on Saturday (Aug. 22).
For more information about the Maine Standardbred Breeders Stakes, follow them on Facebook @MaineBreedersAssociation, or go to their website: MaineSireStakes.com.