Belfast, Maine – Bangor Raceway at Historic Bass Park was packed with four $19,000-plus Maine Sire Stakes divisions for 2- and 3-year-old trotters on Saturday (Sept. 7). What a wonder, a freshman high-stepper on a winning run, won his eighth straight race.
His opponents are getting better and better at beating the skilled son of What a workout, but that didn’t stop the gelding trained by Lisa Watson from winning his $19,528 2-year-old male trot too.
Ken Watson, the regular pilot, sent What a wonder straight to the top, where he raced through leisurely fractions of :32.2 and 1:04.3 in the first half. Putting on the gas in the 1:34.2 (:29.4) third panel, the pacesetter had Kevin Switzer Jr.’s Liberty’s Wildcard right on his helmet and Wally Watson’s Katahdin Victor first over and in the lead.
It was at the head of the stretch that the trotting wonder really got going. He sped home in :29.1, matching Liberty’s Wildcard’s strides to win by just three parts of a length. What a wonder, which is owned and bred by Barbara Lawson, set a new record by setting the timer in 2:03.3.
Katahdin, stable mate Victor came in third place in the event without betting.
My Saving Grace won the early 3-year-old filly trot for $19,543, making it her third win in a row. She won by nine lengths in 2:04.2, which is a new record for her.
Marge Thyng owns the daughter of Shake It Off Lindy and has Mark Athearn drive her for trainer Gretchen Athearn. Leighton Property raised her in Maine.
Second place went to Twisted Venture (Mike Cushing), and third place went to Bernie’s Legacy (Dave Ingraham).
Chipper Dale, a sophomore trotting gelding, got back to winning ways by winning the $19,172 class. In the process, he lost two seconds off of his time badge.
The son of Shake It Off Lindy was sped past the halfway point by Drew Campbell for trainer Valerie Grondin. He won by 9-1/2 lengths at the finish line in 2:00.1. Lynn-Marie Plouffe owns and bred Chipper Dale. He won his sixth race of the season and set a new record for his career.
Second place went to stablemate Pembroke Will (Heath Campbell), and third place went to Carrabassett (Mark Athearn).
Eight 2-year-old trotting fillies competed for $20,016 in purse money in the only race on the pari-mutuel card. Barbella (Bruce Ranger), the third pick, was sent out to take the early lead in a quick :30.1 opening panel. Little Shot (Ivan Davies), the 6-1 longshot, kept his two-hole position through the first turn. While breakers spread out the rest of the field, those two went on past a quick 1:00.2 half and a 1:31.1 third panel.
Barbella did all the hard work, and Little Shot passed the leader in the stretch to win by a length in 2:03.
Little Shot is owned by Shirley Hutchins and was taught and driven by Ivan Davies. She used to be a maiden. The daughter of Noble Venture was bred by Dr. Douglass Hutchins and Paul Kinnear. It cost $15.40 to bet on her seventh career start, which she made memorable.
Favorite Blizzard’s Fury (Switzer) came in third place.
Next up in the Maine Sire Stakes are 2-year-old filly pacers on Sunday, September 8. The races will return to Bangor on Wednesday, September 11, for the 2-year-old male pacers. Next week, on Monday (Sept. 16) through Friday (Sept. 20), all of the remaining classes of 2- and 3-year-old Maine-bred events will be held at the Farmington Fair for harness racing.
The more than $240,000 Freshmen Finals will take place at Cumberland on Saturday, September 28.