Unbeaten Luke McGook takes another

BANGOR, ME – Marc Tardif’s 3-year-old pacing gelding Luke McGook (Rock N’ Roll World) grabbed another harness racing victory at Bangor Raceway on Wednesday (July 26), giving the seasonal star an unblemished record of five-for-five in the glamour boys division of the Maine Sire Stakes.

Leaving from pylon position and driven by regular pilot Kevin Switzer Jr., Luke McGook left little doubt who would be in command at the :29.2 opening panel of the $15,142 non-wagering event.  With the world at his back the Leighton Property-owned horse with the funny name rolled through the middle half of 1:00.2 and 1:29.3 while maintaining a respectable, but not overly boisterous, single-length lead on Colt Bennett (Bruce Ranger-David Crochere).

First up at the half and through the third panel was stable mate Someones Hero (Dave Ingraham-Tardif).  Sensing some hesitation Walter Case Jr. moved So Rock N’ Roll (Tardif) three wide down the backside to swoop his tiring colleague.

With the fracas behind him, Luke McGook pranced home in 1:58.3, with nary an anxious moment to score by 1-1/4 lengths.  Colt Bennett finished second with So Rock N’ Roll getting up to be third in the first of three non-wagering events.

Luke McGook was bred in Maine by Erica Saucier, and now has $178,574 in lifetime earnings, with 13 career victories.

The second $14,146 Maine Sire Stakes event, a 2-year-old colt trot, was captured by Chipper Dale (Shake It Off Lindy) in 2:12 by a 1-3/4 length margin with trainer-driver Valerie Grondin at the controls.  Chipper Dale is owned and was bred by Lynn-Marie Plouffe.  Pembroke Will (Heath Campbell-Grondin) finished second after cutting the fractions; Carrabassatt (Mark Athearn-Gretchen Athearn) was third.

The final non-bettor was captured by Two Towns Over (Deuce Seelster) who grabbed the other $15,367 sophomore colt pace division in a seasonal best 1:58.1.

Driven by Aaron Hall for owner-trainer Valerie Grondin, Two Towns Over made every call a winning one, wiring the field and scoring by 3-3/4 lengths.  Stable mate Mattucci (Walter Case Jr.-Grondin) finished second; Rockaroundsam (Andy Harrington-Tardif) was third.  Two Towns Over was bred by Andrew Bustard.

Outlawofthevalley (Pembroke Slugger) provided a mild upset in defeating wagering favorite and previous point leader Wabanaki (Ivan Davies, 1-5) in the $15,166 Maine Sire Stakes for 3-year-old trotting colts and geldings.

Scoring from the Euro-rail position, driver Kevin Switzer Jr. let Stealin Money (Nick Graffam, 20-1) leave sharply and cross over.  However, the dust barely had time to settle as Switzer Jr. was back out and rolled on to re-take command with Outlawofthevalley in a :29.4 opening panel.

Stealin Money sat a tight pocket with Wabanaki not content in third and choosing to pull first over into the 1:01.4 half-mile marker.  The pair battled on the front end through a 1:31.4 third stanza, where track announcer Mike Sweeney noted that Wabanaki ‘refused to go away.’

Down the stretch it appeared that the lathered-up Outlawofthevalley had his hands full, but the wire arrived, and the pacesetter was able to maintain a half-length lead over the favorite to score in 2:02.2.  Outlawofthevalley is owned and was bred by Leighton Property and paid $9.80 to win for trainer Marc Tardif.

Stealin Money hung on to be third.

Trainers Valerie Grondin and Marc Tardif swept the four divisions of Maine Sire Stakes events, each taking two races on the day’s program.

It’s a three-day weekend for participants in the Maine Sire Stakes at Cumberland.  Friday (July 28) hosts 2- and 3-year-old trotting fillies and 3-year-old pacing fillies.  Saturday (July 29) has two divisions of freshman pacing fillies, with the freshmen pacing colts going on Sunday (July 30).  All the divisions are on the betting program.

For more information about the Maine Sire Stakes, follow our facebook page @MaineBreedersAssociation, or go to their website by clicking here to learn about the new Mare Incentive program.

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

by Chris Tully, for the Maine Sire Stakes