by Bill MacDonald, Meharness.com

Bangor, ME — Denver Cyclone captured the State of Maine record for 2-year-old pacing colts as he glided to victory in 1:57.3 in Maine Sire Stakes action on Monday (July 18) at Bangor Raceway.

Shelley Gilpatrick photo

Denver Cyclone and Wally Watson cruised to a state record 1:57.3 for 2-year-old colts at Bangor Raceway.

Reined and trained by Wally Watson, the son of Western Cyclone-Denverlove remained undefeated for owner Alfred Ross.

The race was a duel of two unbeaten colts — Jimmy Whizbang from the Florence O’Keefe Stable and Denver Cyclone of the Wally Watson Stable. Both colts had set previous track records at Bangor Raceway in previous legs of the series.

Jimmy Whizbang, a gelding by Shady Character-Eyes A Flashing N, was victorious in the first leg of the series at Bangor in a track record time of 1:59.3 and took leg two in a second track record of 1:58.4.

Denver Cyclone won his division of the first leg in 1:59.1, a Bangor track record, and cruised to victory in his division of the second leg in 1:59.4.

When the two met up in the third leg and the wings of the gate folded, Denver Cyclone sprinted to the lead easily from the five hole. Regular driver Greg Bowden decided to float Jimmy Whizbang from the seven hole and watched the action for the first eighth of the mile and then sprinted the gelding to the front up the backside. He was third at the :29.4 quarter pole and crossed over to the rail before the three-eighths marker.

Watson, though, was on a mission and immediately retook the lead headed to the half which was reached in :58.4. That mission was evident at the five-eighths pole as Denver Cyclone rebutted Jimmy Whizbang’s second attempt at the lead up the backside and was in complete control of the race at the three-quarter pole in 1:28.1.

He was unchallenged for the last quarter-mile and finished 3-3/4 lengths ahead of Lollipop Kid, who sat the garden spot for the race. Jimmy Whizbang finished third after his grueling mile, 4-1/2 lengths back.

Next week the colts leave the confines of Bangor Raceway for Scarborough Downs on Sunday (July 24).