Union's closing feature loaded with speed

Friday, August 26, 2005

By LEE ALLEN

It's a weekend of transition for fair racing.

The Union Fair ends its live meet Saturday while racing at the Windsor Fair commences Sunday.

Union's closing day feature is a $2,500 winners-over pace with enough speed to crack the track record of 1:57. Three of the entrants have marks under 1:57. Only one has failed to better 1:57.2.

Here's a look at the field, with post positions, best 2005 times and drivers: 1. OK Blue Jeans N, Q 2:05.1, Gerald MacKenzie; 2. Canberra Fame A, 1:54.4, John Davidson; 3. Perfect Trick, 1:57.1, TBA; 4. Jate's Skyhawk, 1:57, Heath Campbell; 5. Saku, 1:55.2, John Davidson; 6. Excuse Me Marion, 1:56.3. Jason Bartlett.

Speedy 3-year-old colt/gelding pacers are featured today at Union in a pair of $5,000-plus Maine Standardbred Breeders Stakes. Among the future superstars are Dragon's Descent, 1:58.1; Race Me Volcano, 1:58.2; Pembroke Cushy, 1:58.4 and KDF Bellagio, 1:59.1. In races through Wednesday, Jason Bartlett and Steve Mahar were tied for the Union driving lead with seven wins each. Good racing at Union can be credited to Dick Crabtree, director of racing and Ken Sumner, race secretary.

Racing shifts to Windsor Sunday with eight features. Two $2,500 eliminations for the $3,500-added Arthur McGee Memorial Pace will be raced. A pair of $1,850 Pine Tree Classics are slated, the Jupiter Pace and Saturn Pace along with MSBS 2-year-old filly pacers and trotters and 2-year-old colt/gelding trotters. There also is a $3,000 winners-over pace. Post times are 1 p.m. weekends, 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Two more Pine Tree Classics are featured Monday, $1,850 Venus Pace and $1,700 Mars Trot while Tuesday will have a $1,700 Maine Promotional Board Series pace.

MSBS races will be featured Wednesday through Friday. Three-year-old filly trotters go Wednesday, 3-year-old filly pacers Thursday and 3-year-old colt/gelding pacers Friday.

Saturday, Sept. 3 through Monday, Sept. 5, will be Windsor's big Memorial Day Weekend Racing Gala with the Arther McGee final, John Loiko Memorial Pace and a super Memorial Day card featuring the $6,000 Windsor Fair Invitational Pace. More on the big weekend in next week's column. Bill McFarland is director of racing and Ken Sumner is race secretary.

An all-time track record at Skowhegan was virtually overlooked in the excitement of Walter Hight Pace Day last Saturday. The track record in the Hight Pace was not broken but the all-time Skowhegan trot record was smashed by William Varney's Pembroke Marvel and driver Heath Campbell in the $2,800 Open Trot. Current Cast (Don Richards) was leading in :29.3 at the quarter. He held the lead in :59.1 at the half and 1:29.4 at three-quarters. Campbell kept Pembroke Marvel behind the leader through three quarters as the top pair opened several lengths on the rest of the field. Campbell made his move in the stretch and won going away by three lengths in 1:59.3, the fasted trot in Skowhegan history. The old mark was 2:00, set by Pine Magic in 2000. Valerie Grondin trains the new record holder, a 4-year-old gelded son of former Hambletonian winner Malabar Man.

Skowhegan handled $79,750 on Hight Pace Day, easily topping last year's $$54,736. Total handle for the meet was $344,819, up $23,085 over last year.

Jason Bartlett won the last six races Saturday at Scarborough Downs and in races through Wednesday night had 98 wins. Drew Campbell had 76 and Shawn Gray 74. Gray leads trainers with 36 wins. Fred Ward Jr. and Don Richards have 26.

Ralph "Hank" Fenno Jr., 51, long-time announcer at Scarborough Downs, died Tuesday at his home in Westbrook. Fenno finally succumbed after a long battle with cancer. Despite ill health, he continued to call races at Scarborough through the middle of July. Fenno, also a trainer, called races at Foxboro, Hinsdale, Rochester Fair and Lewiston Raceway during his career.

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Major harness races today are a $45,000 NJSS pace and $38,000 trot at Freehold. In harness action tonight, Hawthorne has the $100,000 Robert Carey Pace, Mohawk features the $342,300 Eternal Camnation Pace while Northfield has a $20,000 OSS trot and four $10,000 Scarlet Gray events, two trots and two paces. Freehold has the $100,000 Cane Pace and $50,000 Battle of Freehold Pace and Rockingham has the $100,000 New Hampshire Sweepstakes Saturday afternoon. Saturday night majors are the $382,300 Nassagaweya Pace and $75,000 Fan Hanover Pace plus four Breeders Cup eliminations at Mohawk, a $152,000 PASS pace at Pocono, a $70,000 KYSS at Red Mile and $6,500 NYSS LC at Saratoga.

The biggest Saturday of the summer is slated at Saratoga where the $1 million Grade 1 Travers Stakes (summer Kentucky Derby), a pair $250,000 Grade 1 stakes, the Hopeful and King's Bishop, and the $200,000 Grade 2 Fourstarsdave are on tap. ESPN's Sportscenter will be at Saratoga with all four stakes to be televised live from 5 to 7 p.m.

Other majors Saturday include the $250,000 Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante, $200,000 Grade 2 Play The King at Woodbine, $100,000 Aspidistra at Calder, $75,000 Governor's Handicap at Ellis Park, $60,000 Onmibus, $60,000 Wheeler and $55,000 Incredible Revenge at Monmouth. Sunday majors are the $250,000 Grade 1 Ballerina at Saratoga, $250,000 Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap, $250,000 Grade 3 Philip Iselin and $60,000 Choice S at Monmouth and $125,000 Vice Regent at Woodbine.

Lee Allen of Winslow writes about horse racing for the Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel.

To reach him, send e-mail to: elallen@adelphia.net