The President's Pace
  1980
JETLITE
2:01.0
SCARBOROUGH DOWNS 8/30/1980 $10,000  INVITATIONAL
PACE 1 MILE   TRACK 0-0
28.4 59.1 (30.2) 1:30.2 (31.1) 2:01.0 (30.3)
Horse Name PP 1/4 1/2 3/4 Str Finish Actual LQ Odds Driver Trainer
JETLITE 3         1 / 2:01.0     William Parker, Jr. Raymond F. Smith
CHEVIOT 8 6 6 3 /1 2 /H 2:01.0 3.60 Kenneth Heeney Ronald Estes
MIGHTY EDEN 2 1 2 1 1 /HD 3 /3 2:01.3   5.20 Charles Connor Charles Connor
BETTY JO CHRIS 4                 Leo LaPage Leo LaPage
TUCKAWAY WILLY 5 6 7 4 /3 4 /4 2:01.4   27.50 Steven LeBlanc Leonard LeBlanc
BEST OF CANDY 1 2 3 5 /3H 5 /7 2:02.2   43.00 Thomas Vanidestine Be. Stearns
GOD OF WEALTH 6               Freeman Parker Freeman Parker
MY BILL FORWOOD 7                 Donald Dancer Leroy Pullen
Win Place Show Wager Payout
46.20 13.00 6.60 Exacta 208.60
5.80 4.20    
    4.80    
JETLITE 5, G, JETHRO HANOVER - KAMMY'S A - BULLET HANOVER Raymond F. Smith, Farmingdale, NJ
CHEVIOT 7, G, TRUE DUANE - FIREFOOT - ENSIGN HANOVER Robert G. & Pauline J. Webb, Gardiner, ME
MIGHTY EDEN 4,G, MOUNT EDEN N - HAPPY NEWS - RIGHT TIME Moulton Invest & Lease Corp., Exeter, NH
A heralded three-year-old, and a grand old veteran highlighted the pre-race publicity for President's Pace II, but an intense thunderstorm (an hour before post time), and a late arriving Bucky Day provided an upset ($46.20 winner) as Jetlite flashed down the middle of the raceway in a creditable mile of 2:01 flat.
The highly regarded three-year-old, at that time considered to be Maine's best ever, was My Bill Forwood. He had earned over $60,000 on the season, and had taken a lifetime win mark in 1:57-flat at the Meadowlands. On this day, with New Jersey-teamster Donald Dancer in the bike, "Bill" never saw the rail early on, and finished a dismal eighth at the wire.
The grand old veteran was the defending President's Pace champion, Cheviot. With Ken Heeney in the seat, Cheviot fell well off the fast early fractions of :28.4, and 59.1. His patented late-move off three-quarters in 1:30.2 fell lengths short as Jetlite sped away in the late strides. The remainder of the field included Mighty Eden, Tuckaway Willy, Best of Candy, Betty Jo Chris, God of Wealth and My Bill Forward.
In the aftermath, the memory of the second President's Pace is that of a beaming owner (Raymond Smith) walking through the crowded grandstand, proudly carrying with him the winners reward, the prestigious ten-foot tall President's Pace trophy.
- From Scarborough Downs