Katahdin Mark seeks redemption in Maine trot

Bangor, ME — Aside from an uncharacteristic miscue behind the starting gate at Union Fair, top 3-year-old Maine-bred trotting colt Katahdin Mark has only seen the heels of one horse this season.

With six wins and two second-place finishes in nine starts, Gary Hall’s robust son of Noble Venture has only been beaten — break notwithstanding — by one horse, Mark Tardif’s Warriorofthevalley. One of those rare defeats came in their last start at the Winsdor Fair, where Hall sat a two-hole trip behind his nemesis and got to within a half length at the wire. The pair will meet once again in the six-horse opener at Bangor in an $18,489 Maine Breeders Stakes (MSBS) for sophomore male trotters on Saturday (Sept. 17).

Warriorofthevalley will be driven by Andy Harrington, drew pylon position, and has been listed on the morning line at 9-5. Trainer-driver Gary Hall will score from post two with Katahdin Mark, who is listed as the 6-5 favorite for the 12:15 p.m. opener at historic Bangor Raceway.

Taking his name from Mount Katahdin, the highest mountain in the state of Maine (5,269 feet), the term was first given to the landmark by the Penobscot Native Americans. The native people named the high peak Katahdin, which means “Great Mountain,” which they believed to be the home of the storm god Pamola, and thus an area to be avoided.

Katahdin Mark will try to get back to his winning ways at Bangor on Saturday. Shelley Gilpatrick photo.

Of course, many of Katahdin Mark’s competitors would like to avoid him as well, as the colt has been a dominant force in the division, amassing $53,482 in seasonal earnings. Owned and bred by James and Betsey Kelley, the colt has 11 lifetime wins and is just $4,333 shy of breaking $100,000 in career cash.

However, Warriorofthevalley is no slouch either, having earned $93,845 lifetime with seven career victories. Owned and bred by Leighton Properties, the son of Pembroke Slugger has been third or better in his last eight outings. This race could be a dress rehearsal for the rich Maine Breeders Stakes final, one month from now.

The MSBS 3-year-old trotting fillies race before the regular card, at noon, with seven combatants vying for a purse of $18,736.

Leading the pack is six-time seasonal winner Maplewood Slugger, who scores from post five with Andy Harrington at the controls for trainer John Nason and owner-breeder Maxine Hadlock. With $50,626 earned this year, the daughter of Pembroke Slugger is the filly to beat in this contest.

Leaving from post four, the chestnut filly Pembroke Honcho is the second-winningest trotter of the group, having picked up two victories at Topsham and Skowhegan for trainer Valerie Grondin and driver Aaron Hall. The daughter of Pembroke Slugger has $30,396 in seasonal securities for owner-breeder Bill Varney.

Maplewood Slugger’s stablemate Show No Tears rounds out the top three, having quietly earned $26,279 for owners Carolyn Corso and Diane Perkins. The daughter of CR Power Glide was bred by Lynne-Marie Plouffe.

The following day, the Down East faithful head to Farmington for four days of fair racing at the Franklin County oval; daily post time is 2 p.m.

After Farmington, harness racing returns to the Cumberland Fairgrounds from Sept. 28 through Oct. 2 for eight days of pari-mutuel action. The 150th annual Cumberland Fair and First Tracks host the Maine Breeders Stakes 2-year-old finals on Oct. 1.

The final stop on the Pine Tree State fair circuit is historic Fryeburg, from Oct. 6-8. The Maine-sired sophomore finale returns to Bangor for all of the 3-year-old MSBS divisional finals on Oct. 15.

For more information about the Maine Standardbred Breeders Stakes, go to the Maine State website.

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