Justcallmebuck one to watch in Maine Sire Stakes

BANGOR, ME – Justcallmebuck (Deuce Seelster) showed harness racing fans of the Maine Sire Stakes that he is one to watch in the glamour boys division for 3-year-old male pacers, scoring in 1:57.4 on Wednesday (June 12) at historic Bass Park.

Two $16,416 divisions of the Maine Standardbred Breeders Stakes went postward in the opening two races on the afternoon card, premiering what looks like another exciting season of Pine Tree State-sired harness racing.

As the wings folded in the opener Aaron Hall blasted Whats For Suppaah out to the lead to protect his pylon position, with Wes’s Challenge (Walter Case Jr.) and Justcallmebuck (Heath Campbell) charging hard from their respective outside post positions and settling in behind the pacesetter.

Campbell and Justcallmebuck had nary a moment’s rest in the three hole as they were back out and rolling to the top and setting a snappy 28.3 opening tempo.

The first to the outer flow was Arts Flight (Kevin Switzer Jr.) who kept the developing colt’s attention through a 59.1 half.  Case had Wes’s Challenge poised to pounce second over as the field moved down the backstretch and into the 1:28.3 third panel, with Hall maintaining a strong hold on Whats For Suppaah who was locked in the pocket.

Case swung Wes’s Challenge three wide around the final turn to challenge for the lead and appeared to have caught the pacesetter.  However, Campbell shook the lines at Justcallmebuck and the 3-year-old responded to hold the would-be spoiler at bay.

The final time of 1:57.4 was a new lifetime mark for the homebred property of Kristina Hall, prevailing by half of a measured length.  Trained by Gary Hall, he paid $3.20 to win for the second time in his career.

Wes’s Challenge finished second; Whats For Suppah was third.

JUSTCALLMEBUCK REPLAY

In the second $16,461 division of 3-year-old Maine-bred male pacers, the Tardif Taskforce entry prevailed, despite the most accomplished part of the prohibitive betting choice, Two Fold Cold, being scratched sick.

Hejustadelight (Ron Cushing) last year’s freshmen champion took the field to the opening quarter in a smooth 29.1, with the field of five strung out by well over 10 lengths.  As the single file queue passed the stands for the first time Kevin Switzer Jr. moved Ella V Fella (Artistic Fella) from the back of the pack to range up toward the leaders, passing the half in 59.4.

Ella V Fella caught the leader going down the backstretch and those two began their own race, scampering swiftly away from the rest of the pack.  With Hejustadelight on the inside, and Ella V Fella on the outside, the stubborn pair exchanged strides until the 1:29.4 third panel where the aggressor waved goodbye and paced away from the former leader and gained command through the final turn.

Scoring by three lengths, the 3-year-old shaved a tick off his lifetime mark by stopping the timer in 1:58.1.  Ella V Fella, the 1-5 favorite was bred, and is owned and trained by Marc Tardif, paying $2.40 to win his third consecutive outing.

Hejustadelight finished second; CBF Windy Fella (Dave Ingraham) was third.

ELLA V FELLA REPLAY

Maine Sire Stake resumes on Saturday (June 15) as First Tracks Cumberland hosts two $16,196 divisions for 3-year-old pacing fillies, which are slated as races one and three on the regular card.  First post is 3:15 pm.

For more information about the Maine Standardbred Breeders Stakes, follow our Facebook page @MaineBreedersAssociation, or go to their new website.

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

by Chris Tully, for the Maine Sire Stakes