Bangor, ME – Suge (pronounced like the first syllable of “Sugar”) surged down Victory Lane at the Bangor State Fair on Wednesday (Aug. 5), earning her first win since joining the Michelle Lefebvre stable and delivering the first win as an owner for Lefebvre’s 17-year-old son, Landon Biggar.
Piloted by driver Nick Graffam, Suge settled in fourth from the start, tracking the speed of the front-running Mrs Foxy Roxy (McGwire Sowers) who sped to the quarter timed in a zippy :28.2. As the tempo trended tepid, Graffam pulled Suge entering the second bend, eventually grabbing cover from Violette Blue Chip (Hunter Lofthus) while drafting to a breathable :59 halftime clocking.
Riding strong cover past an accelerating 1:28.2 3/4-pole jaunt, Graffam fired Suge into a three-wide salvo, sling-shotting off the final turn before marching powerfully through the historic Bass Park stretch en route to 1-1/4 length margin over her well-heeled competitors,
Suge stopped the clock in a seasonal best, 1:58.1. And paid $2.80 to win as I’m Not Maverick (Michael Stevenson) rallied for the brides-mare share while Sronebridge Grand (Ron Cushing) secured the show.
“Suge. I don’t know much about her name but my dad (Chris Lefebvre) bought her with me. It’s my second horse I’ve owned and my first win.” an exuberant Biggar explained, “I’m 17 so I think I’m just starting in the business but I work pretty closely with Suge. I wake up in the morning, jog and train her, and really just put in all the labor. There’s a lot of labor involved in racing a horse.
“I started work for my dad about four years ago and it’s a really big milestone for me today and I gotta say thank you to both mom and dad for the opportunity right now.”
Landon’s mom, trainer, Michelle Lefebvre, concurs.
“He is over the moon this evening and has put so much time and work into that mare since she’s arrived so I’m happy for him. He’s in the barn, right alongside us day in and day out, and it’s so rewarding to see all that dedication pay off on race day.”
The industry doesn’t have many 17-year-old owners so it’s a pretty big deal when a young g man with as much dedication and work ethic as London Biggar earns his first win.
And if Suge has anything to say about it, this win might well be the start of a great adventure.
Harness racing along Maine’s fairground circuit now transitions to the Topsham Fair where racing will be offered, pre-fair, on Sunday and Monday (August 9 and 10) with post time both days scheduled at 4:00 pm (EDT). Admission on Sunday and Monday will be free.
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, is available on Hollywood Races at www.hollywoodraces.com.