Cumberland, ME — Several of the six fillies in the $16,171 Maine Sire Stakes for 2-year-old pacing fillies tried valiantly, but none could reel in wire-to-wire winner Chasing Dudes on Friday (Aug. 2) at Cumberland Raceway.
Scoring for the second straight week, the daughter of Dude’s The Man never had an anxious moment as driver Nick Graffam set comfortable fractions of :30.1 and 1:02.4 in the opening half. The 9-5 wagering favorite Glorilla (Ron Cushing) was the first to pull to the outside and challenge going past the stands to the five-eighths marker. Thinkin Bout Life (Walter Case Jr.) was also thinking about improving her position as she was second over.
By the swifter 1:33 third panel Glorilla was at the wheel of the pacesetting Chasing Dudes, with the field stacked up behind them heading into the final turn. Graffam let out a notch through the apex and got a little breathing room from the rest of the pack.
Down the stretch Glorilla took one more shot at the leader, but to no avail. Chasing Dudes tripped the timer in 2:03.3, winning by a measured length margin. Glorilla finished second; Audry (Steve Wilson) was third.
Trained and co-owned by Mike Graffam with breeder Bob Marston, it was the filly’s second win in a row from just five lifetime starts. She paid $7.60 to win.
Nick Graffam picked up another two wins on the program, and leading reinsman Kevin Switzer Jr. had a grand slam.
Saturday’s 14-race closing day card (special post time 3:25 p.m.) includes all of the track’s regular betting options, including 50-cent Pick-5 (races 3-7 and 9-13); 50-cent Pick-4 (races 11-14); 50-cent Pick-3 (races 12-14), all with a low 16 percent take out. The 14th race Pentafecta (High 5) has a $228.15 carryover.
There is also full card simulcasting of Hambletonian Day at the Meadowlands and Whitney Stakes Day at Saratoga. Gates open at 11 a.m. and programs from those two big tracks will be available.
For additional information, visit our website at firsttrackscumberland.com.