The first of many potential showdowns between two of the state’s premier fillies takes place this Saturday evening at Scarborough Downs when the paths of Baton and Blond Moment cross once again.

Baton is owned by the RAM Racing Stables of Portland, while Blond Moment is owned by Chuck Eaton of South Portland. The two fillies dominated the two-year-old pacing filly division of the Maine Standardbred Breeders Stake program last season, winning a dozen stakes events between them. Baton and Blond Moment figure to be prominent again this season as sophomores, and Saturday’s event at Scarborough is one more prep race for the two fillies before the sire stakes action begins in a few weeks.

Judging by their rookie campaigns, the two three-year-olds could be considered carbon copies of each other. Baton made ten starts last season, and won eight of them. She finished second and third in the other two, earned more than $25,000 and established a lifetime mark of 1:58.2 at the Windsor Fair in August. Blond Moment went to post eleven times, with a record of seven wins, three seconds and one third. She also earned in excess of $25,000 and also took a lifetime mark of 1:58.1 at Windsor. The two fillies met four times in Maine Breeders Stake action last season, and each defeated the other twice. Their final clash of the season came in the stakes final at Scarborough, where Blond Moment prevailed in the $22,000 event.

There are a dozen legs of the Maine Standardbred Breeders Stake for three-year-old fillies scheduled throughout the state of Maine from July through October. Then there is the lucrative final hosted by  Scarborough Downs. Chances are that Baton and Blond Moment will meet in many of those races. Saturday’s overnight event is only one race in a long season. But the rivalry between the two fillies has been renewed, and racing fans will get a sneak preview of what lies ahead this weekend.

The purists of the sport of harness racing will be happy this Friday whether they head to Bangor or to Scarborough, as that is when both tracks have carded their feature trotting events of the week.

At Bangor, Lew Hayden’s Classic Andy, undefeated in three starts this season, puts his streak on the line in the $2,500 event for Winners Over $5,000 Lifetime. Classic Andy faces a field that includes last week’s winner Pembroke Marvel, along with Opal, who won the class two weeks ago. Emmalee Ann, Sonic Scot, Graelin N and Grand Adventure round out the class.

At Scarborough, Snap Dancer has been installed as the morning line favorite in the $3,700 Winners Over trotting event. Owned by Bruce Bridgham of New Gloucester and trained by Fred Ward, Snap Dancer has recorded three wins in her last five appearances in the Downs’ feature trot. This week’s field includes Copters Star Image, Bratgirl, Unshaken, Current Cast and Pine Magic.

Learn and Earn events, where the public gets their first chance to view the season’s crop of two-year-olds, began Wednesday night at Scarborough. Mike Creamer’s Guess Its True, with trainer Brian Nelson in the sulky, won the first rookie trot of the year. Tax Exempt, owned by Patricia Bartlett, Arlene Shaw and Myra Drisko, won the class for rookie pacers with Jason Bartlett handling the reins. Scarborough will host Learn and Earn events prior to their races on Friday, and Bangor will do the same on Saturday.

Post time at Bangor Raceway this weekend is at 7:30 P.M. on Friday and Saturday, and at 1:30 P.M. on Sunday afternoon. 

Scarborough Downs will go to post at 7:00 P.M. Friday and Saturday evening, and at 3:30 P.M. on Sunday.