Catch-drivers cash in at Bangor

Bangor, Maine …. “When the cat’s away, the mice will play” – so the old saying goes.

On Saturday (September 6), Bangor Raceway’s top cat, harness racing driver Kevin Switzer, Jr, begrudgingly called in sick and suddenly there were twelve quality catch-drives tantalizingly available. And after they were all doled out to worthy recipients, the proverbial mice did play, as six of Switzer’s programmed drives came up aces!

Bruce Ranger was the first to benefit from Switzer’s misfortune, teaming back-to-back winners down Victory Lane, first carousing with Snowonthepines (1:58.3-NB) who remained a perfect seven-for-seven after wiring her $17,124 Maine Sire Stakes contest for two-year-old fillies, and then next engineering a keen pocket trip win behind Sleazy Rolls (1:58-$3.60).

WOLFTRAX REPLAY

Two of Aaron Hall’s three Saturday scores came aboard Switzer vacated drives, initially with a devastatingly powerful gate-to-wire romp with Smokin By N (1:57.3-$2.80), and then with a deep rally-effort, teaming Wolftrax (1:56.4-$22.20) from 12-1/2 lengths off at the half to 3/4 lengths the best at the wire.

“It was a big mile” Hall explained, “There were a lot of good horses in there and he did everything he needed to do to beat them today”. 

Nick Graffam showed some magic of his own after replacing Switzer on Show Me The Magic (2:02.2-$5.60), one of two training wins from the Benson Merrill roster, and then Wallace Watson brought the sixth of Switzer’s vacated drives home, winning by open-lengths aboard The Shining (1:56.4-$5.40).

“The horse raced great” Watson remarked, “And I’m sure Kevin would have been a lot happier to have been here today than sick at home today”.

Despite his absence from what probably would have been an extremely profitable day, Switzer remained at the top of the charts at Bangor, leading all drivers at the Queen City oval with 38 wins at the meeting. He is dogged closely by perennial powerhouse, Heath Campbell, who ushered home three winners on Saturday’s card, to push his meet-long tally to 31.

Bangor’s September meet continues on Sunday (September 7) with post time slated for 12:10 pm (EDT) and will conclude with a 3:00 pm mid-afternoon card on Wednesday (September 10).

For those not able to come to the track, wagering and live video for Bangor Raceway, as well as hundreds of harness and thoroughbred racetracks across the world, is available on Hollywood Races at www.hollywoodraces.com (http://www.hollywoodraces.com/).

For complete information regarding live racing, simulcast wagering, gaming, dining, and hotel accommodations at Bangor’s Hollywood Casino and Raceway, please visit the website at www.hollywoodcasinobangor.com (http://www.hollywoodcasinobangor.com/).

For complete race results, click here: US Trotting Results

by Mike Sweeney for Bangor Raceway