August 28, 2024 — by Chris Tully, for the Maine Sire Stakes
(Holli Niles photos)
WINDSOR, ME – Marc Tardif’s Massive Speed has been a huge success in the 2-year-old male pacing ranks of the Maine Sire Stakes, winning every race that he ever entered. That swath of superiority continued on Tuesday (August 27) at the Windsor Fair when the colt picked up his sixth consecutive victory, and a new time badge, while going for the $19,662 enhanced purse.
Massive Speed was sent out to an early lead by driver Walter Case Jr. from his outermost sixth post position, setting a snappy 29 second opening panel. With This Dude’s Perfect (Heath Campbell) sitting in the two-hole, the rest of the field was stretched out single file down the backstretch.
With Case giving his colt a short breather into a 1:00.3 half, Massive Speed gained some separation from the field as stable mate Dawn Two Dark (Andy Harrington) blasted from fourth to second past the 1:30.1 third panel, giving the pacesetter another reason to keep rolling on.
Around the final turn, as the challenger nearly got to the leader’s wheel, the son of Dude’s The Man responded to Case’s urging with track announcer Mike Cushing declaring, “it’s another coast-to-coast win for Massive Speed.”
Trained by Marc Tardif for owner Leighton Property, Massive Speed took a new lifetime mark of 1:59.1, winning by 2-1/4 lengths.
Marc and Peggy Tardif noted that, “we always liked this colt; he was good from day one. He never did anything wrong.”
They continued, “Our crew says that he acts like an old man in a 2-year-old’s body. He is very professional.”
Bred by Laurie Harding, Massive Speed paid $2.40 to win as the heavy favorite.
Dawn Two Dark finished second; Race Me Celtic (Bill Childs) was third.
The other $19,661 division for freshmen pacing colts and geldings was held before the card as a non-wagering event. While the Tardif Taskforce had stacked the deck with four of the six entrants, it was trainer Valerie Grondin that came away with the victory.
Heath Campbell piloted the stable’s Keenan Star to his maiden-breaking victory in 2:00.3. A wire-to-wire rout from post five, it was just the second purse start for the 2-year-old son of Western Maverick. Valerie Grondin was also the breeder and has retained ownership of the fourth foal from Paxxie p,2,1:57f ($76,717). She is by Six Of Diamonds, a sub-1:50 son of Artsplace and from a Matt’s Scooter mare.
Campaigned by Grondin and Campbell during her racing career, Paxxie is already the dam of three whose average earnings exceed $100,000 in Paxxton p,1:56.4h, Bandolito Blaze p,2,1:57.3h and Mattucci p,4,1:56h. All three are full brothers to their newest Maine-bred sibling winner, Keenan Star.
Fred Ward’s Gracies Tough Guy (Dave Ingraham), who is a full brother to 3-year-old pacing filly star Gowestyounggrace, finished second; Ella V Dude (Kevin Switzer Jr.) was third.
The Maine Sire Stakes reconvenes at the Windsor Fair with the 2-year-old filly pacers on Friday (Aug. 30), continues with all four divisions of trotters on Saturday (Aug. 31), 3-year-old male pacers on Sunday (Sept. 1), and concludes on Labor Day Monday (Sept. 2) with the sophomore filly pacers.
For more information about the Maine Sire Stakes, follow our facebook page @MaineBreedersAssociation, or go to their website: https://www.mainesirestakes.com
