Jason’s Jiffy took full advantage of a perfect trip worked out by driver Drew Campbell and captured the $10,000 Paul Bunyan Pace at Bangor Raceway Sunday afternoon. The invitational event is the signature race of every season at Bangor and highlighted the closing day card at the Queen City track. 

Campbell took the lead in the tightly bunched field entering the final turn and drew off to win by three lengths in 1:56.1. The winning time equaled the fastest mile in Maine in 2005, which was established earlier at Bangor by Aunt Emma. 

In Sunday’s Paul Bunyan Pace, Powerhouse Sahbra (Shawn Gray) had grabbed the lead leaving the starting gate but immediately got rough gaited and Jate’s Skyhawk (Heath Campbell) took advantage of the situation and led the field through opening fractions of 29 and 58.1. Approaching the half-mile pole the betting favorite Artchie Andrews (Jason Bartlett) challenged the front runner, and Campbell quickly picked up the live cover with Jason’s Jiffy. As the field passed the three-quarter pole in 1:27.3 Artchie Andrews poked a nose in front, but Campbell swept his pacer three deep and just as quickly took the lead. As the field reached the top of the stretch Jason’s Jiffy  fully cleared to the lead and coasted to victory. Arts Planet (Don Richards) who sat in the pocket much of the mile rallied for second, while Artchie Andrews picked up the show spot. 

Jason’s Jiffy is owned by Brian Bickmore of Hermon, Maine and is trained by Randy Bickmore. The win was the tenth in fifteen seasonal starts for Jason’s Jiffy and ran his seasonal earnings to nearly $29,000. 

With the curtain down on the Bangor meet, harness racing in the northern part of Maine now moves to the agricultural fair circuit. The first stop is the Northern Maine Fair in Presque, Isle, where racing will begin this coming Friday.