Scarborough, Maine – A large and enthusiastic crowd gathered at the seaside oval of Scarborough Downs on Sunday (October 12) to witness day two of Maine’s inaugural edition of Super Sire Stakes weekend as the three-year-old finals took center stage for record purses which totaled in excess of $310,000.
Kanalla Bella got the afternoon’s stakes action off to a popular start as the daughter of Maine’s most exciting new stallion Boy Band set sail early from post position seven. Through expert fractions engineered by driver/trainer Ivan Davies, the filly was never seriously challenged throughout the mile en route to a 5-1/4 length victory in the $77,582 three-year-old filly trotting final timed in 2:03.2.
“Ivan is an expert at balancing a trotter out and has kept this filly in fine form throughout the season” commented winning owner Michael Andrew of Gorham, Maine following the filly’s seventh consecutive win, “Hard work and careful planning have certainly contributed to her success.”
Andrew quickly made a second appearance in the Scarborough Downs winner’s circle following the $77,582 three-year-old colt final as another of his Boy Band trotters scored an impressive open-lengths jiggy-jog to claim top honors. Timed in an unhurried 2:02.2 with trainer/driver Gordon Corey handling the lines, Up Tempo marched smartly to his 13th career victory from only 17 lifetime starts to add the three-year-old championship trophy to the two-year-old crown that he claimed the year prior.
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Allie Hiscock
thanks SD
Boomerang with a
kiss after
capturing the
$77,715
three-year-old
filly pacing
final on Sunday
at Scarborough
Downs
– photo by EJS
Photography |
“He’s perhaps the best Maine-bred trotter that I’ve ever seen” said guest announcer and veteran harness observer Lloyd Johnson, “Even as a late blooming two-year-old his ability was evident.”
“You really had no reason to doubt him today” said winning driver Gordon Corey, “He’s a very nice trotter and today he behaved exactly like the good horse that he is.”
“Next up are the New England Sulky Championships next week at Scarborough then he’s off to the Harrisburg Sale” Mike Andrew explained, “As much as we’d like to we can’t keep them all. Up Tempo has a bright future in front of him on the big-time circuits.”
SD Boomerang controlled all the action throughout the $77,715 filly pacing final as driver Stephen Mahar guided the three-year-old daughter of Sweet Dragon through near identical panels to ensure a 2-3/4 length 2:00.0 victory over Pembroke Lu (Heath Campbell). The win was the 8th from only 14 lifetime starts for the Linda Douglas (Cumberland, Maine) owned pacer who is conditioned by top colt trainer Allie Hiscock.
“Allie does a great job year after year and has developed some really nice animals” driver Mahar remarked, “He always gives me a quality product to drive. This filly is pretty versatile and extremely capable and always performs at the asking once she gets underway”
“I’m thankful to my owners and horses and Scarborough Downs for providing us a good track to train over” said trainer Allie Hiscock, “Most of all I just want to say thank you to Boomerang. She did all the work.”
The much anticipated showdown in the $77,743 three-year-old colt pacing division actually surpassed expectations as the Scarborough fans were treated to a battle of epic proportions between longtime rivals Terrys Star Dragon, Maineiac Matt and Pembroke Blitz.
Maineiac Matt (David Ingraham) with inside position insisted on the early lead putting stable-mate Terrys Star Dragon (Michael Graffam) quickly in the pocket as they speed to the quarter-marker in a sizzling 27.3 seconds.
Ingraham throttled his pacer down a bit while reaching the half timed in 58.1 but had little time to rest as Graffam pulled the two-hole to challenge just past the mid-way point while getting the jump over Pembroke Blitz (Heath Campbell).
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In an epic
stretch duel
Terrys Star
Dragon and
driver Mike
Graffam engage
Maineiac Matt
and driver David
Ingraham en
route to a
1:57.4 victory
in the $77,743
three-year-old
colt pacing
final – photo by EJS Photography. |
Two by two the stable-mates duked it out on the headway of the raceway as the tandem began to slowly inch away from the field. By the time they appeared from behind the infield tote-board mere whiskers separated the pair as they raced in lockstep down the historic Scarborough stretch while the large and vocal crowd roared its approval.
When the dust had cleared Terrys Star Dragon (Sweet Dragon – My Radiant Star) proved his mettle, willing himself first to the wire timed in 1:57.4 to secure his 18th lifetime win from only 21 career starts.
“First I want to thank Scarborough Downs for doing such a great job hosting these stakes finals” said winning driver Mike Graffam, “And second I want to thank Bob Tourangeau for giving me half of My Radiant Star before we bred her. She’s given us a pretty tough colt who has shown his ability through two full years of stakes racing.”
“While I train both him and Maineiac Matt there was no doubt that both David Ingraham and I were going to do our best to win this race” Graffam continued, “It was one of the hardest fought battles of my driving career and I’m just extremely proud of both these horses.”
“I lost the stakes final with his mother, My Radiant Star, by a pencil mark to a great Maine-bred named Gypsy” said winning owner Robert Tourangeau of Scarborough, Maine, “And I always hoped that if we were ever in a tight final again that I could come out on the other side of that pencil mark. Terry made all those hopes into reality today – it’s a very emotional victory.”
And one that the fans at Scarborough Downs will not soon forget as the resurgence of the state of Maine harness racing industry continues.
The New England Sulky Championships – the final stake of the 2008 season – will be contested on Saturday October 18th at Scarborough Downs. First post time is slated for 12:30 pm (EDT).
