August 17, 2025, by Chris Tully, for the Maine Sire Stakes
(Stephanie Gray photo of SNOWONTHEPINES from Topsham)

SKOWHEGAN, ME – A pair of $17,000-plus divisions of the Maine Sire Stakes for 2-year-old pacing fillies closed out the week of harness racing at the Skowhegan State Fair on Saturday (Aug. 16) with a baker’s dozen vying for their own piece of the pie.

In the early $17,123 non-wagering event the Western Maverick filly Perfectly Lovely went out for an early lead and set comfortable early fractions of :31 and 1:03.3.  Driver Aaron Hall started to feel the pressure as the field approached the 1:33.4 third stanza as driver Kevin Switzer Jr. had the undefeated filly, Snowonthepines, breathing down his neck.

Around the final turn Hall kept his charge on her toes and had managed to keep the aggressor at bay until the shadow of the wire where Snowonthepines got up to win by a neck in 2:02.3.

Trained by Marc Tardif for owner/breeder Leighton Property, it was the fifth straight victory for the daughter of Dude’s The Man.

She’s A Firefly (Nick Graffam) finished third.

In the second $17,299 division for frosh filly pacers, the battle for the front may have dictated the outcome.

When the gate sprung both Ekorus (Nick Graffam) and Dudelookslikeafily (Switzer Jr.) bolted out for the lead, with the former allowing the latter to take the point before a hard-fought :30.4 opening panel.  As they passed that first quarter pole Ekorus came right back out in an attempt to ‘re-take’ the lead.  However, in the apex of the turn Switzer hit the gas and denied Graffam the front, forcing him to take back into the two-hole.

With Dudelookslikeafily hitting the half in 1:01.4 the rest of the field was gapping but Ekorus was tight on Switzer’s helmet by the 1:32 third station.

Around the final turn Ekorus was back out and moving, and despite a little ‘drift’ in the lane,  passed the pacesetter and secured the victory by a quarter length in 2:03, a new lifetime best.

Bred, trained and co-owned by Mike Graffam with William Arnold and Martha Holden, she paid $3.40 to win her second race of the year.

Graceofspaces (Dave Ingraham) was a fast closing second; Heymickeyyousofine (John Nason) was third.

The Maine Sire Stakes takes a week hiatus and then reconvenes at the Windsor Fair on Sunday (Aug. 24) with the 3-year-old filly pacers, followed by the 2-year-old male pacers on Monday (Aug. 25).

For more information about the Maine Standardbred Breeders Stakes, follow our facebook page @MaineBreedersAssociation, or go to their website:  https://www.mainesirestakes.com