by Michael Sweeney, for Scarborough Downs

Scarborough, Maine — In a season filled with incredible speed the local scribes have been kept happily busy rewriting the state of Maine record books and a brand new chapter was composed on Thursday night (August 28) at Scarborough Downs as Bad Boy Billy turned in a splendidly good performance in a $9,774 Maine Standardbred Breeders Stakes event before an enthusiastic assemblage of home town fans.

EJS Photography

Bad Boy Billy and driver Gordon Corey race on to history on Thursday at Scarborough Downs as they establish a new state of Maine trotting standard.

Piloted by legendary colt guru Gordon Corey, the 2-year-old altered son of Boy Band-Moving To Glory conjured up the fastest race time ever trotted in Maine harness racing history for his age and sex with a sterling 2:02.3 clocking.

This epic supplanted the previous standard of 2:04.2 set by Mic Mac Express (Ivan Davies) in 1997 and recently equaled by Current Closer (Mark Athearn) just last week at the Downs.

“Billy doesn’t know he’s not supposed to be this good,” said jubilant owner/breeder Michael Andrew. “He just keeps going happily along.”

Sent briskly to the lead, Bad Boy Billy controlled every measure of Thursday’s mile, setting moderate early fractions to the half in 1:02.3 before picking up the tempo and traversing the back half in a keenly in-hand 1:00 — punctuated by a nifty final panel of :29.3.

“Did you see him in that last half-mile? Or even the last quarter-mile,” Andrew quizzed, still trying to properly appreciate the accomplishment. “He just flew! It was incredible to watch.”

Incredible is indeed the proper word to describe the performance of Andrew’s band of Boy Band trotters this season as Bad Boy Billy joins his older brother and sister Up Tempo and Kanella Bella in a record breaking rampage; all three Maine-bred trotters now proclaimed to be the fastest representatives in state of Maine history in three distinct categories.

“That mile simply was remarkable to witness,” said Jean Emerson, a pioneer in the creation of the Maine Breeders Stakes program and Hall of Fame member of the United States Harness Writers Association. “As the caliber of bloodstock improves in Maine speed has finally begun to creep into the trotting side of our Breeders Stakes program. Along with increased purses we have realized a higher level of performance. Maine harness racing is once again on the march forward.”

The next step in the Breeders Stake march takes place on Sunday at Scarborough Downs as the 3-year-old colt pacing division takes center stage as the season long speed show continues.

Scarborough Downs proudly features live harness racing every Thursday, Friday and Saturday afternoon at 4:15 p.m. (EDT). The popular Sunday matinees feature a 1:30 p.m. post time.