Make-up day held for Maine Breeders Stakes

BANGOR, ME – Maine’s 2-year-old male pacers had a make-up day of harness racing before the regular card at Bangor Raceway on Wednesday (Sep. 7), with two $18,000-plus divisions of the Maine Breeders Stakes (MSBS) enjoying swift times after a few extra days off.

With the Windsor Fair races cancelled on Labor Day (Sept. 5), the freshmen sidesteppers found themselves back on familiar ground as many of the Pine Tree State’s products had started their careers in baby races, as well as the first round of stakes races at historic Bass Park in Bangor.

In the first $18,009 non-wagering event, Two Towns Over (Deuce Seelster) with driver Aaron Hall got the best of current point leader Luke McGook (Dan Deslandes / Marc Tardif) to capture his fourth stakes win in as many starts.

Hall blasted Two Towns Over away from the starting car from post position three to take command and post opening fractions of 29.3 and 1:00.3, with Luke McGook falling into the garden spot.  Rockaroundsam (Andy Harrington / Tardif) was the first to generate the outer flow and was within a length of the leader at the 1:29.3 third panel.

But Hall shifted Two Towns Over into another gear and had gained some separation at the head of the stretch and scored in a new lifetime best of 1:57.4.  Luke McGook battled back into second and got within a quarter length of the victor.  Rockaroundsam finished third.

Two Towns Over is trained and owned by Valerie Grondin and was bred by Andrew Bustard.  The win vaulted the 2-year-old into second place in the point standings.

In the second $18,008 MSBS div. for 2-year-old pacing colts and geldings, So Rock N’ Roll (Western Maverick) danced to the beat of his own drummer while breaking his maiden for driver Andy Harrington and trainer Marc Tardif.

Scoring from post two, he had things his own way and maintained a steady advantage over the rest of the field throughout the contest.  Posting fractions of 28, 58.3 and 1:28.2, the well-rated stanzas were the perfect set up to put a notch in his win column.  Already five times second or third in seven previous starts, So Rock N’ Roll is the home bred property of Leighton Property.

Twice The Ice (Walter Case Jr. / Tardif) finished second; Race Me Maverick (Drew Campbell / William Childs) was third.

The 3-year-old filly pacers return to Bangor on Sept. 10, with the 3-year-old trotters visiting Bass Park on Sept. 17.

The remaining fair schedule is as follows:  Farmington, Sept. 18 – 21; Cumberland, Sept. 28 – Oct. 1 (2yo finals); and historic Fryeburg, Oct 6 – 8.

The Maine-sired sophomore finale returns to Bangor for all of the 3-year-old MSBS divisional finals on Oct. 15.  The 2-year-old championships will be held two weeks earlier on Saturday (Oct. 1) at the Cumberland Fair.

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

For complete race results, click here.

by Chris Tully, for the Maine Breeders Stakes