Sailor Jerry cruises to 50th career win

Bangor, Maine …. Ever since his very first steps on the raceway, Sailor Jerry has evoked the image of a luxury liner. His sleek, fleet and flashy style was evident from his first baby race win at Scarborough Downs in 2014 – the first of five consecutive harness racing wins which heralded the beginning of his two-year-old season – and extending through two seasons of Maine Sire Stakes action which featured a storied rivalry and fierce competitiveness with fellow stakes classmates, Pembroke Maverick and Pembroke Wildcat.

While unable to dethrone his rivals in Sire Stakes championships, Sailor Jerry’s charted course has outperformed both his juvenile playmates equally in longevity and winners circle appearances, as the now 13-year-old scored the 50th win of his storied career on Wednesday (July 2) at Bangor Raceway.

Captained by regular pilot, Nick Graffam, Sailor Jerry rocketed to an early advantage off the gate on Wednesday, eventually settling into the garden seat after allowing post time favorite, Little Power (Heath Campbell) to retake the lead at the quarter-pole. Tracking through accelerating fractions, Graffam kept his charge breathing down Campbell’s neck, before pouncing off the pylons in mid-stretch to post the 3/4-length margin, timed in a seasonal best 1:56.4.

Trained and co-owned by Michael Graffam (with Christopher Hamilton) the veteran son of Cheyenne Hollywood secured his third win of the season while elevating his career bankroll to $388,349.

SAILOR JERRY REPLAY

The win was one of two on the program for the Graffams who earlier took first place honors with Chasing Dudes in an $11,926 split of Maine Sire Stakes action for sophomore fillies.

Bred on Graffam’s historic Norton Farm in Falmouth, Maine, Sailor Jerry has spent his entire career under the careful guidance of the expert staff at the bucolic equine oasis. Never venturing far from home, all 243 of his lifetime starts have come over either the half-mile ovals of the state-of-Maine circuit or the quick 5/8th-mile strip at Plainridge Racecourse, both at which he has thrived as an upper conditioned-class – and sometimes Invitational class- stalwart.

And as witnessed by Wednesday’s jaunty jog at Bangor, there appears plenty of spunk still left in those cagey old hooves as the New England faithful look forward to the continued success of one of their prized native sons.

In other Bangor news, driver Heath Campbell and trainer Valerie Grondin put on a clinic on Wednesday, scoring three wins from the twelve-race program. Included in their scores were; Bandolito Blaze (1:57.4-$3.00), who survived a late charge from Creepin (Kevin Switzer, Jr) at the wire to secure his first win of the season; Mocha On The Rocks (1:58.2-$59.20), who mounted a deep rally at huge odds; and Pembroke Junebug (1:58.4-$3.00), who thrived through an extended first-over salvo.

Co-starring to Campbell’s lead, Kevin Switzer, Jr, Andy Harrington, and McGWire Sowers joined Graffam with two driving wins each on the card, while trainer Dalton Lee joined Graffam and Grondin with multiple conditioning wins after securing two scores on the card.

Maine Sire Stakes action returns to Bangor Raceway on Sunday  (July 6) when two year-old trotting divisions make their seasonal debut.

Bangor Raceway will showcase live harness racing throughout the mid-summer season, featuring sessions on Wednesday afternoons with a 3:00 pm post time, and the popular Sunday matinees going to post at 12:10 pm.

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.

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.

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

by Mike Sweeney, for Bangor Raceway