Dan Deslandes goes five for five at Bangor

Bangor, Maine – Harness racing driver Dan Deslandes took full advantage of every opportunity afforded him on Saturday (October 28), parlaying five programmed drives into five winning performances over the course of the ten-race card at Bangor Raceway.

Three of the victorious volleys were served up from the Deslandes family roster as trainer Jeffrey Deslandes (Dan’s dad) had the stable ready to rock ‘n roll on Saturday.

Winners from the Deslandes clan barn included, Granny’s Girl (1:57.3-$5.00), who glided gate-to-wire through identical 58.4 halves to claim the 1-1/4 length victory; SG Alexia (1:57.3-$5.00), who also took the pike route to secure her fifth consecutive win and fourteenth top tally of the season; and Draconian Terror (1:58.4-$20.40), who took advantage of a decelerating back half while gobbling up territory late, extending out to a 1-1/4 margin after a ground-saving pylon journey.

Deslandes was cunning with his catch-drives too, swooping last-to-first with The Bird Dance N (1:56.1-$9.40) while coaxing a springy 28.4 last quarter from the Karl Butterfield trainee, before sending everyone home a winner in the finale as post-time favorite, Ranaldi (1:56.3-$3.60), rewarded his backers at the windows while securing his tenth win of the year for trainer Cain MacKenzie.

The five-win driving performance enabled Deslandes to regain the top spot on the Bangor Raceway leaders board with 50 seasonal wins, a position the 31-year-old teamster has enjoyed for most of the year.

The three conditioning wins from the Jeff Deslandes roster reinforced the stable’s year-long supremacy among the Bangor trainers ranks. The outfit now boasts 45 seasonal wins – 23 more than their closest competitors.

In other Bangor news, 85-year-old driver, Robert Nadeau, won for the 163rd time in his career on Saturday. The ageless wonder steered his 14-year-old pacer, Putnams Storm (1:59.2-$15.60), through a faultless gate-to-wire effort, while securing the 39th career victory for the veteran son of Force Of Life. This horse and driver tandem, whose combined ages incidentally tally 99, certainly enjoyed taking “the kids” to school on the unseasonably warm, mid-autumn afternoon at Bangor.

Live harness racing will be featured through the November 8th closing day at Bangor Raceway on Saturday and Sunday with the brand-new early post times slated for 11:15 a.m. (EDT). The Wednesday afternoon post times remain scheduled at 3:00 p.m.

For complete information regarding live racing, simulcast wagering, gaming, dining and hotel accommodations at Bangor’s Hollywood Casino and Raceway, please visit the website by clicking here.

For complete race results, click here: US Trotting results.

by Mike Sweeney, for Bangor Raceway