by Michael Sweeney, for Scarborough Downs

Scarborough, ME — Maine Sire Stakes action made its 2009 debut at Scarborough Downs on Friday (July 3) as the 3-year-old filly pacers contested twin splits for identical $10,454 purses.

Derek Davis photo

Heath and Drew Campbell played follow the leader as Pembroke Whittney fronted No Peeking to the midway point in Friday’s stakes confrontation at Scarborough Downs.

A blaze of orange and black streaked past the packed Scarborough stands in the first match-up as brothers Heath and Drew Campbell dueled to the wire behind stakes stars Pembroke Whittney and No Peeking, respectively. Brother Heath won the first battle of the young stakes season, holding firm at the rail after setting all the pace while securing a brand new lifetime mark of 1:59.3 for the William Varney owned Pembroke Whittney. No Peeking fell just short of the prize to score the runner-up placing while The Salem Witch (Jason MacDougall) took the show.

In the second division of filly pacers, Isn’t She Lovely reigned supreme with veteran driver Leigh Fitch sulky-sitting for the Gordon Corey stable. The daughter of B Dramattic-Cam’s Last was never seriously engaged and proved much the best as On The Avenue (Mike Graffam) and Race Me Lucky (Billy Childs) completed the top-three placings.

Stakes racing returns to Scarborough Downs on Saturday as the 3-year-old colt pacing division takes center stage with last year’s freshman champion Neutral Court set to defend his title.

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