July 11, 2024 — by Chris Tully, for the Maine Sire Stakes (Holli Niles photo)
BANGOR, ME – Marc Tardif’s Two Fold Cold took the overland route to win his division of the Maine Sire Stakes, breaking the track record on Wednesday (July 10) at historic Bass Park in the process.
In fact, with Andy Harrington driving for trainer Marc Tardif, the pair swept both $16,000-plus divisions of the Pine Tree state-bred stakes for 3-year-old male pacers at Bangor.
In the first $16,291 event, Two Fold Colt got away third from his pylon position. Hesjustadelight (7-2, Ron Cushing) and Wes’s Challenge (9-2, Walter Case Jr.) went out for the early lead, with those two matching strides into the first turn resulting in a swift 28.3 opening panel. With Cushing’s Hesjustadelight on point, Harrington moved Two Fold Cold first over to challenge the pacesetter into a softer 58.4 half.
Down the backside the 1-2 favorite Two Fold Cold was still parked as the pair battled through a 1:26.3 (27.4) third panel. Finally clearing by the top of the long, far turn Harrington hit the afterburners and the son of Deuce Seelster responded with a strong closing kick to draw away from the field and score by 4-1/2 lengths in a benchmark smashing 1:55.2.
The mile was the fastest ever paced by a 3-year-old gelding pacer at Bangor, which eclipsed the standard set by Gordon Corey’s Call Me Maverick in 2021.
Owned and trained by Marc Tardif, Two Fold Cold was bred by Gary and Kristina Hall, paying $3.00 to win.
Wes’s Challenge got up for second; Hesjustadelight was third.
In the second $16,191 division of the Maine Sire Stakes Team Tardif was at it again, with Arts Flight and Harrington scoring a stakes race double on the late afternoon card.
1-5 favorite Justcallmebuck (Heath Campbell-Gary Hall) ‘pushed the starting gate out of the way’ exclaimed track announcer Mick Sweeney, as they rolled into a 30.2 first quarter with Arts Flight (2-1, Harrington) in tow.
The pacesetting favorite had things his own way into a modest 1:00.4 half, but then pushed a little faster through the 1:30 third stanza with Art’s Flight sticking to him like glue.
Harrington pulled the pocket with the son of Artistic Fella at the top of the far turn, and despite swinging wide off the turn the colt sped home in 28.2 to upset the heavy favorite in 1:58.4 by three parts of a length.
Owned and trained by Marc Tardif, and bred by Lynne-Marie Plouffe, he paid $6.40 to win.
Justcallmebuck finished second; CBF Windy Fella (Dave Ingraham-David Crochere) was third.
The Maine Sire Stakes reconvenes this week at Cumberland with two $15,000 divisions of the 3-year-old filly pacers on Friday (July 12), and continues at Cumberland the following day (Saturday, July 13) with a single $15,000 division for 2-year-old filly pacers.
The next day, all divisions of trotters return to historic Bass Park on Sunday (July 14).
For more information about the Maine Sire Stakes, follow our facebook page @MaineBreedersAssociation, or go to their website: https://www.mainesirestakes.com
