‘Double Digit Dave’ Ingraham eyes 8,000 career wins

Bangor, Maine …. David Ingraham continued his march toward career driving win number 8000 on Sunday (October 19), scoring three harness racing wins on the Bangor Raceway afternoon program, each measured by the determined and masterful margin of a mere neck, and elevating his lifetime cache of top tallies to 7992.

Living up to his Pompano Park nickname, “Double Digit Dave” brought home price play after price play on Sunday, starting with Rocksursocksoff (2:00.4-$22.80) who thrived through a second-over trip after Ingraham deftly flushed Gazitarena (Michael Cushing) off the cones. Luxuriating in the draft, Ingraham then pounced at the wire while securing the first win of the season for the Mark Harris trained entry.

Ingraham utilized the exact same strategy to claim his second win on the card, positioning Wheres My Phone (1:57.4-$19.00) in nose-to-helmet position behind Orrsterror (Kevin Switzer, Jr). The outer flow avoided the commotion when the front-running KP’s Magic Macy (Heath Campbell) lost stride at 7/8ths, enabling Ingraham to once again bound to victory at the wire.

The hat trick was nailed in classic gate-to-wire fashion as Ingraham steered the 14-year-old Pembroke Scorpio (2:00.2-$12.60) to the 55th victory of his storied career.

PEMBROOKE SCORPIO REPLAY

Utilizing all the skill and guile accumulated over the course of his decades spent patrolling the stone dust, Ingraham worked diligently while taking the pike route, granting Whata Twist (Kevin Switzer, Jr) false encouragement before effectively thwarting their first-over assault, all while keeping Hide The Wick (Michael Stevenson) brave but buried in the pocket.

After Ingraham worked his darnedest to best position his charge, the rest was left up to the horse. A lesser horse might well have packed it in as challengers swarmed from both flanks, but Pembroke Scorpio, the regal steed that he is, swelled up at the challenge, refusing to be passed, while absolutely willing himself to the wire on top.

Owned and trained by Patricia Sumner, the win marked the 55th career victory lap for the regally bred son of Cambest and the Abercrombie mare, Stylish Smile.

In other Bangor news, yet another classy 14–year-old took top honors on Sunday when Lord Of Misrule (1:58.1-$34.00), benefited from placings to secure his 52nd career win with Aaron Hall driving for owner/trainer Steven Vafiades. The win, his second this year accrued via placings, elevated his career bankroll to $778,883.

Hall was the other hot driver on Sunday’s card, matching Ingraham’s three win performance while Michelle Lefebvre led all trainers with two wins on the program.

Live harness racing at Bangor Raceway will be featured on a three day per week schedule in October with 3:00 pm (EDT) post times for the Wednesday twilight cards and with 12:10 pm starting times for the Saturday and Sunday matinees.

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