Ranger and Case battle it out at Bangor

Bangor, Maine – Harness racing driver Bruce Ranger became the punters’ best friend at Bangor Raceway on Wednesday (10-19) factoring in the exotics in six out of his seven starts while claiming two trips down Victory Lane over the course of the ten-race mid-afternoon performance.

The drivers’ colony at Bangor remains extremely deep and, on this day, marked by equity, eight separate drivers teamed winners’ home through the storied strength at historic Bass Park and the list of winners was varied indeed.

Dalton Lee, a 22-year-old rookie scored his third career win behind Ideal Rowan (American Ideal, 1:59.2) while Jason Bertolini, another youthful “P” driver, claimed his first Bangor win with Air Force Grad (The Panderosa, 2:04), but it was the veteran Ranger who delivered the consistency, providing order to the expansive list of achievers, while etching his name firmly at the top of the eventual tally.

In juxtaposition to the fledgling frolics of Lee and Bertolini, the hallmark of the day occurred when two grizzled veterans locked horns in the $7,000 trotting feature when Ranger, who is quickly closing in on 10,000 career driving wins, teamed Broadway Giant (Broadway Hall) to his third consecutive score timed in seasonal best 1:59.4.

In order to earn the hard-fought win though, the victorious duo had to first overcome the well-pedigreed challenge of Mister Muscle and his driver of some note, Walter Case, Jr.

With over 21,000 career wins between them and one more on the line, Ranger and Case matched strides through the lane in a duel of great urgency, with a mere neck separating the two grand campaigners at the wire, demonstrating that the fire still burns in the bellies of the champions who continue to toil their trade at Bangor Raceway.

Check out all the action at Bangor Raceway every Friday and Saturday at 12:15 p.m. (EDT) with Wednesday cards getting underway at 3:00 p.m. Closing day of the 2022 season has been extended to Saturday November 5th.

For complete race results, click here.

by Mike Sweeney, for Bangor Raceway