Aaron Hall three-peats at Skowhegan State Fair

Skowhegan, Maine … Aaron Hall’s star shone brightest of all under the sparkling lights at Skowhegan State Fair on Tuesday (Aug. 15) as the talented teamster dazzled the fans with a three-win harness racing performance during Maine’s first evening card of the 2023 harness racing season.

Hall kicked-started his three-peat with an insistent gate-to-wire score behind the accomplished Maine Sire Stakes star, Two Towns Over (Deuce Seelster-City Girl Hanover), in an early $14,692 non-wagering stakes event for sophomore colts and geldings. He played a lively game of catch-me-if-you-can, generating an incredible 57.2 back-half to hold the challengers at bay, and timed in a seasonal equaling best of 1:58.1.

Owned and trained by Valerie Grondin, the win was the 2nd of the 2023 season for last season’s Maine Sire Stakes freshman champion.

Hall employed the pike route strategy once again while nabbing his second win of the night with S R Willpower (2:01-$7.00). Lulling the competition through pedestrian fractions before sprinting home in a fleet :28.4, the 1/2-length margin secured the third win of the year for the Wayne Smith trainee.

A change in strategy was in order though as Lovethewayyoulie (1:58.3-$5.00) was denied Hall’s preferred front-end seat by Rojas Blue Chip and driver Kevin Switzer, Jr who bullied their way to early superiority. Carefully tracking, Hall kept his charge brave at the pylons before boldly charging up the inside path once clearance appeared in mid-stretch, and with the photo-finish lights flooding the track, Lovethewayyoulie sped past his rival to post the 1/2-length score.

Now with 67 seasonal wins and 549 career victories, Aaron Hall remains firmly entrenched as a top-five rated teamster along the state-of-Maine circuit.

In other Skowhegan news, driver Dan Deslandes pieced together two more winning strategies during the Tuesday card while trainers Jeff Deslandes and Valerie Grondin each recorded conditioning doubles.

Skowhegan will race under the lights on Thursday (August 17) with post time slated at 7:00 p.m. (EDT). The meet will culminate with 1:00 p.m. cards on Friday and Saturday (August 18 and 19). Saturday’s card will feature the $15,000 Hight Memorial Invitational which annually attracts the finest horses in New England.

For complete card one results, click here.

For complete card two results, click here.

by Mike Sweeney, for Skowhegan State Fair