by Michael Sweeney, for Scarborough Downs

Scarborough, ME — Up Tempo, a 3-year-old star of the Maine Standardbred Breeders Stakes trotting program left a deep impression on the assembled fan base on Thursday as he lined up behind the Scarborough Downs starting gate to contest a $10,107 stakes division.

EJS Photography

Up Tempo and driver Gordon Corey raced into the Scarborough record books.

He set sail early off the car to forge fractions of :29.2, :59.3 and 1:30.1 en route to stopping the timer in 2:00.4, thereby setting a new career speed standard and claiming his third consecutive victory in MSBS competition.

Up Tempo now becomes the fastest winner on the trot in the history of the Maine Breeders Stakes program, erasing Ichiban’s long-held previous mark of 2:01.1 recorded back in 1999.

He also obliterated the Scarborough Downs track record for 3-year-old geldings of 2:04.3 which had been held since 1997 by Imagingerbreadman and driver Dominic Watson.

Up Tempo, a son of Boy Band, one of Maine’s newest trotting stallions, is owned by Michael Andrew and is trained and driven by state of Maine colt specialist Gordon Corey.

“His mother, A Virtue, was a great mare and has produced well,” owner Michael Andrew said. “She produced the 2006 3–year-old Maine Stakes champion Forward Momentum, but I think the Boy Band blood has made her get even faster.”

“He likes to race,” Andrew continued. “He doesn’t like other horses to beat him. So far so good but we’d sure like to repeat a mile like this during the finals in October.”

The Maine Standardbred Breeders Stakes continue throughout the summer season at various venues in the state of Maine and culminate with finals during “Super Stakes Weekend” on October 11 and 12 at Scarborough Downs.