Shawn Thayer excels in muddy track racing

Bangor, Maine – A brief ray of opportunity shone down upon Bangor Raceway on Wednesday (June 8) as a respite between a pair of substantial rainstorms afforded a narrow window to contest a ten race mid-week harness racing program under clement, although decidedly muddy conditions.

Old-school handicappers used to proclaim the adage that mud was the “great equalizer” and that certainly seemed the case at Bangor as winning favorites were few and far between. And when the races concluded on Wednesday, the verdict was unanimous – whether at long odds or a short price, driver Shawn Thayer is a confirmed four-star mudder!

Thayer absolutely wallowed in the mud during the early portion of the program, claiming three wins and one runner-up placing from the first six races.

Counted among his winning tallies was a gate to wire romp with Virtual Success (2:04.1), a four-year-old daughter of Betterthancheddar who glided over the gooey going to score her first state-of Maine win for new owner Cynthia Pelletier and trainer Alex MacDonald. The win was one of two on the program from the Pelletier/MacDonald roster.

As track conditions rebounded midway through the program, Thayer once again chose the pike route strategy, making Throwing Copper’s (Captaintreacherous, 1:59.1) first state-of-Maine start a winning one. Hailing from the formidable James Dunn stable, the four-year-old returned a hefty $48.60 win ticket to his backers, continuing with the price-play scenario which unfolded though out the day on Wednesday.

Thayer completed his hat trick performance by registering the fastest win of the muddy afternoon behind The Spy (1:58) as the ten-year-old veteran son of American Ideal scored the 36th victory of his career for the lightning hot Shawn Nye stable.

In other Bangor news, Drew Campbell joined Thayer as the other torrid teamster on Wednesday while scoring a driving double on the card. Trainer Charlene Cushing joined the hit parade while sending two winners down Victory Lane including Smart Move (2:01.1) at 9-1 odds in the finale, keying a robust $953.90 trifecta return

Bangor Raceway proudly features live harness racing every Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. (EDT) with the popular Sunday matinees getting underway at 12:15 p.m. Simulcast wagering is available Wednesday through Sunday from noon until 7:00 p.m.

For complete race results, click here.

by Mike Sweeney, for Bangor Raceway