Windsor, ME – Kevin Switzer Jr. held the hot hand on a warm late-summer afternoon at the Windsor Fair on Monday (Aug. 31), scoring three driving wins over the well-manicured surface at the 138-year-old mid-Maine agricultural exhibition.
Switzer’s three-peat began in relatively expected fashion as he confidently guided the undefeated Snowonthepines (1:59.2, NB) to her 17th career win in a $17,209 split of Maine Sire Stakes action for 3-year-old female pacers, casually shrugging off repeated jabs from Heymickeyyousofine (driven by Heath Campbell) to notch the 1-1/2 length victory.
Turning his attention to the overnight ranks, Switzer called a merry tune from veteran pacer, Bag Pipe Major (1:57.1, $3.80), launching a devastatingly effective frontal assault, putting the competition away through an unapproachable :57.3 opening half, and then gliding home to an in-hand, open-length victory.
The win was the second of the year for the 12-year-old son of Art Major who is trained by Bethany Graffam for owner Jan Donaway.
“He’s a good old horse” Switzer remarked. “He’s got the back class, that’s for sure. I’ve driven him for a few different trainers over the years, and you can just tell he’s a real racehorse.”
Keeping with the musical theme, Switzer’s remaining win came with a pacer named Clapton (1:59.2, $3.20), who serenaded the crowd through a front-end jaunt while securing his second win in a row.
A relative newcomer to the Benson Merrill roster, the Leighton Property-owned son of Tall Dark Stranger has absolutely thrived since relocating to New England, with Monday’s win coming on the tail of establishing a new lifetime mark (1:52.4) at Plainridge Park in his most recent prior appearance.
Harness racing resumes at the Windsor Fair on Tuesday (Sept. 1) with post time scheduled for 2 p.m. (EDT). The 10-race betting card will be preceded by four non-wagering Maine Sire Stakes event scheduled for 1:15 p.m.
As is the norm, harness racing will be the featured afternoon attraction at Windsor throughout the 10-day late-summer agricultural exhibition. Saturday and Sunday post times are set for 1 p.m. (EDT), weekday posts (with the exception of the dark Wednesday on Sept. 2) slated for 2 p.m., while the traditional Labor Day program provides the grand finale beginning at 1 p.m.
Senior citizens (60+) will be afforded $5 admission to the fair on Thursday (Sept. 3) while veterans will receive free admission on Thursday with military ID.
For the complete harness racing schedule at the Windsor Fair, click here.
The live video feed of all the harness racing action at Windsor Fair can be enjoyed online at www.youtube.com/@Mainefairharnessracing, programs may be found at www.trackmaster.com, while wagering for the races at Windsor will be available both on track and online on the Hollywood Races site at www.hollywoodraces.com.