South St Dottie upsets Maine powerhouse Pickmepickme

BANGOR, ME –Trainers Mike Graffam and Valerie Grondin each grabbed a $14,684 division of the Maine Sire Stakes for 3-year-old pacing fillies at Bangor on Sunday (Jul. 3), giving the active harness racing conditioners something extra to cheer about for the holiday weekend.

Carded as races 5 and 8 on the afternoon program at historic Bass Park, the opener went to South St Dottie (Western Maverick), a distaff that is heretofore undefeated in Sire Stakes competition this season.  However the betting public thought otherwise and placed a previously undefeated filly up on a pedestal and made Pickmepickme the 1-9 favorite.

When the car sped away Nick Graffam put his lass into high gear and sped out quickly to the front.  Pickmepickme (Andy Harrington-Marc Tardif) assumed the two-hole and the pair left the rest of the field in their wake.

Graffam controlled the tempo with a 30.1 opening panel, followed by a 1:02.4 breather.  When Harrington got to the five-eighths pole he tipped Pickmepickme out to challenge for the lead.  Graffam sensed the movement and tapped the accelerator.  South St Dottie responded and the pair dashed to through a 1:33 third panel and around the final turn, fending off the continued assault of the favorite.

Not to be denied, and under constant pressure, Nick Graffam and South St Dottie held off Harrington and Pickmepickme to upset by a measured length in 2:02.4.  She paid $22.40 to win.  South St Dottie is trained by Mike Graffam for owner-breeder Jan Donaway.

It was the third consecutive Maine Sire Stakes victory for South St Dottie, who now counts $22,346 as her seasonal earnings.  Justcallmemimi (Bruce Ranger-Mike Graffam) finished third.

The second $14,684 division witnessed La Mambacita (Western Maverick) grab her first victory of the season, having been a bridesmaid on three previous occasions.

Driver Heath Campbell began his tour of the facility from pylon position, and to avoid a speed duel, let Ally Mac (Nick Graffam-Mike Graffam) take the top.  Before the timer could register the split, Campbell and pulled and retaken the lead.

Following a snappy 28 second opening panel, Campbell and La Mambacita controlled the tempo through the 58.3 and 1:28 middle half, but not without pressure down the backside from Ally Mac, who was tight in the pocket, and Katelyn’s Angel (Kevin Switzer Jr.-Marc Tardif) who came first over.

Advancing with every stride Katelyn’s Angel had dead aim on the leader La Mambacita, and as track announcer Mike Sweeney exclaimed, they were “whiskers apart at the wire.”

La Mambacita prevailed by a head and paid $3.00 to win in 1:58, taking a new seasonal mark.  Now with $20,448 in seasonal earnings, she is owned by Scott McKenzie and trained by Valerie Grondin.  She was bred in Maine by Lynn-Marie Plouffe.

The Maine Standardbred Breeders Stakes returns to Bangor on Wednesday (July 5) for a $15,123 Maine-sired 2-year-old filly pace, and come right back on Friday (July 7) for the 2-year-old colt pace.

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

For complete race results, click here.

by Chris Tully, for the Maine Sire Stakes