September 5, 2026, by Chris Tully, for Maine Sire Stakes
(Joe Shaw photos)

WINDSOR, ME – The entire lot of Maine’s 2-year-old pacers toured the Windsor Fair facility on Friday (September 4), with some of the familiar, unbeaten stars emerging as the next great Pine Tree State-bred harness horses.

Four divisions of the Maine Sire Stakes were held before the regular card at Windsor, with three divisions for the freshmen colts and geldings that were made up from the previous (Thursday) day’s rain cancellation.  Originally programmed for Friday was an early race for the fillies, and then a $16,983 pari-mutuel 2-year-old filly pace that was held as the opener.

Right out of the gate and blasting to the lead was the leading point winner in the colt division, The Gucci Man.  Driver Kevin Switzer Jr. was tested to the :29.2 opening panel from post six, but made the top and kept his colt rolling to a 1:01.1 half.

Hollywood Chester (Joey Mosher) sat a tight pocket with Two Bolts (Mike Cushing) and Survive The Ride (Aaron Hall) sparking up the outer flow into a 1:32 third panel.

However, as the field hit the head of the stretch The Gucci Man was already five lengths on top.  Gaining ground with every stride he tripped the timer in 2:01, all by himself with 10-1/2 lengths on the rest of the field.

Owned, trained and bred by Marc Tardif, he posted a :29.0 final quarter in his sixth straight score and increased his lifetime earnings to $47,143. 

Hollywood Chester hung on for second; Fiddlestix Revenge (Heath Campbell) was third.

Trainer Marc Tardif and the Tardif Taskforce swept the other two colt divisions with One Last Deal (Andy Harrington) in 2:00.3 who grabbed his first lifetime victory from four previous outings, and a new time badge to go with it. 

The son of Dude’s The Man, who is also owned and was bred by Tardif, was parked the final half with Agent James Bond (Switzer Jr.) finishing second and pacesetter Rustysonlytreasure (Aaron Hall) hanging on for third.  All three are trained by Tardif.

In the third and final colt event it was Justcallmebuddy who posted the swiftest win of the day and took a new 1:59.2 record in the process.  Trained by Marc Tardif for owners Leighton Property and Victoria Leighton, it was the second lifetime win for the son of Deuce Seelster.  Bred in Maine by Kristina Hall, he now has two in a row.

Top Notch Treasure (Mike Stevenson) finished second; Painter’s Treasure (Andy Harrington) was third.

Just like her male counterpart, No Small Wonder has never seen the back of a helmet in six starts this season, and this $16,983 Maine Sire Stakes outing was no exception.  Sent right to the top by Kevin Switzer Jr., the daughter of State Treasurer made every call a winning one, tripping the timer in 2:01, and prevailing by two lengths.

Trained by Kevin Switzer Sr. for owners KDK Standardbreds, Kathleen Mofield and Anthony Sivik Jr., she was bred by Luke and Patricia Varnum and now has $48,757 earned.  She returned $2.20 as the heavy 1-9 favorite.

Wine For The Lady (Aaron Hall) finished second; Bettor’s Treasure (McGwire Sowers) was third.

The other $16,808 division for 2-year-old pacing fillies was captured by Feel The Fury in 2:01.3.

Driven by Aaron Hall to her first lifetime victory in wire-to-wire style, she is trained by Marc Tardif for owner-breeder Lesley Leighton.

Bad Bunny T (Switzer Jr.) finished second; Calling All Angels (Stevenson) was third.

Looking ahead, the Maine Sire Stakes action resumes with the Glamour Boys (3-year-old male pacers) at Windsor Fair on Sunday (Sept. 6), followed by the 3-year-old filly pacers who close out the meet on Labor Day Monday (Sept. 7).

Maine’s Freshmen compete in two more legs at Bangor and Farmington and then complete their seasons in the rich finals at Cumberland on Saturday, October 3.

For more information about the Maine Standardbred Breeders Stakes, follow them on Facebook @MaineBreedersAssociation, or go to their website:  MaineSireStakes.com

September 2, 2026, by Chris Tully, for Maine Sire Stakes
(Joe Shaw photos)

WINDSOR, ME – All of Maine’s 2- and 3-year-old trotters worked their way over to the Windsor Fair on Tuesday (September 1), resulting in some surprises and a new milestone for a prominent trainer-driver.

All four of $17,000-plus divisions of the Maine Sire Stakes were held before the regular card at Windsor, with the highlight being the 3-year-old filly trot division where Gary Hall drove his star distaff Hayden to an easy victory and obtained career driving win number 1,500.

Active since 1977, Hall, a native of Dover, Maine has over 10,300 driving starts and $2.7 in purse earnings.  His best season was 40 years ago in 1986 where he enjoyed 164 trips to the winners circle.

Veteran trainer-driver Gary Hall took command early with a :30.1 opening panel, sending the daughter of Cantab Fashion to a swift 1:00.1 half.  I Think I Can (John Nason) sat a loose pocket while Our Last Quote (Mike Cushing) moving first over into a 1:30.2 third panel.

But, no one was going to catch Hall’s fabulous filly as she increased her three-length lead down the stretch to score in 2:00.4, a new lifetime best, while prevailing by 5-1/2 lengths. 

Owned and bred by Stephen Hall, it was the seventh seasonal victory for Hayden and her ninth lifetime, as she increased her bankroll to $102,956.  She is currently unbeaten at age three.

Out Last Quote finished second, I Think I Can was third.

In the other battle for un-beatens, a $17,210 Maine Sire Stake dash for 2-year-old trotting colts and geldings, it was yet another wire-to-wire rout of a fair track by the Watson’s U Know I Know.

Ken Watson steered the son of Whataworkout to his sixth consecutive win in a lifetime best 2:03.3, scoring by three lengths over stable mate Race Me Bruno (Wally Watson).

Trained by Lisa Watson for owner-breeder Barbara Lawson, the unbeaten divisional star now has $47,416 on his card in six lifetime starts.

Pembroke Zagursky (Heath Campbell) finished third.

Earlier in the card, driver Heath Campbell provided a mild upset when he steered Mikella Bella to victory in her $16,681 Maine Sire Stake for 2-year-old trotting fillies.

The daughter of To The Hilt got away second behind pacesetting stable mate and current divisional leader Princess Caledonia (Gary Hall) who made an uncharacteristic miscue in deep stretch.  Campbell capitalized on the situation and helped Mikella Bella pick up her second lifetime victory in 2:10.2.

Co-owned and trained Gary Hall with partners James Kelly Jr., Betsey Kelley and Kristina Hall, she was bred in Maine by Anita Anastosopoulos. 

Cape Cod Friday (Dave Ingraham) finished second; Princess Caledonia was third.

In the $17,008 Maine Sire Stake for 3-year-old trotting colts and geldings, it looked like an instant replay of the last several weeks as driver Heath Campbell sent Gus’s Workout to the front with Trottingfortreasure (Kevin Switzer Jr.) ducking in the two hole. 

Gus’s Workout set mild fractions of :32.1 and 1:05 to the half, with Trottingfortreasure first over and within striking distance into a swifter 1:35.2 (30.2) third panel.  But that is where the threat ended as Campbell sent Gus’s Workout on a beeline for the wire and drew off by 3-1/2 lengths to win easily in 2:04.4.

Trained by Valerie Grondin to his third win of the season, the son of Whataworkout is owned and was bred by Lynn-Marie Plouffe.  His lifetime earnings have reached $96,334.

Trottingfortreasure finished second, High Fashion Hank (John Beckwith) was third.

Looking ahead, the Maine Sire Stakes action resumes at Windsor Fair with the 2-year-old male pacers on Thursday (Sept. 3) and their female counterparts on Friday (Sept. 4).  Then it’s back to the glamour boys who make their second appearance at Windsor on Sunday (Sept. 6), followed by the 3-year-old filly pacers who close out the meet on Labor Day Monday (Sept. 7).

For more information about the Maine Standardbred Breeders Stakes, follow them on Facebook @MaineBreedersAssociation, or go to their website:  MaineSireStakes.com

September 1, 2026 — by Chris Tully, for the Maine Sire Stakes
(Joe Shaw photos)

WINDSOR, ME – It was just another walk in the park for 3-year-old pacing sensation Snowonthepines as Maine’s unbeaten filly continued to put on a show for her fans and connections alike.  With her unblemished record intact at the Windsor Fair, fairgoers on Monday (August 31) witnessed two $17,000-plus divisions highlighted by the Marc Tardif-trainee picking up her 17^th consecutive victory.

With the first $17,2109 division carded as an early, non-wagering race, Snowonthepines went right to the top, but so did the upstart Heymickeyyousofine.

While Kevin Switzer Jr. relinquished his seat on the engine to Heath Campbell momentarily, that spot was short-lived as the top filly was right back out and rolling for a retake.

Following the brief give-and-go, Switzer Jr. posted moderate early fractions of :29.1 and 1:01 with no right lines being pulled.  Heath Campbell and Heymickeyyousofine sat a tight pocket trip through the 1:30.3 third station, with the rest of the field fading from contention.

As the lead pair rolled down the stretch Switzer Jr. never had an anxious moment, as they tripped the timer in 1:59.2 for the filly’s eighth consecutive seasonal victory.

Snowonthepines won all nine of her races as a rookie, and now has $162,3251 in lifetime earnings for trainer Marc Tardif and owner-breeder Leighton Property.

Heymickeyyousofine finished second by 1-1/2 lengths; Graceofspades (Dave Ingraham) was third.

In the other $17,434 division, which was held on the regular program for 3-year-old pacing fillies, Just Delightful was finally able to get out from under the divisional leader’s shadow, having finished second to Snowonthepines in her four previous outings.   

Co-owning driver Ron Cushing wasted little time moving his charge to the top, establishing a three-length lead by the time they hit the opening panel in a snappy :28.3.  While reducing the tempo into a :59.1 midway point, the daughter of Western Maverick was on cruise control with Dudelookslikeafily (Aaron Hall) sitting in the pocket through the 1:29 third panel.

With nothing but air and opportunity in front of her Just Delightful hit her best stride down the Windsor homestretch with a :28.4 final quarter, leaving her rivals in a 5-1/2 length wake to score in 1:57.4, a new lifetime best.

Trained by Heidi Cushing for owners Ron Cushing, Stephen Downey, Anthony Romanelli and Joseph Romanelli, it was Just Delightful’s third lifetime victory, with her earnings now at $88,414.  Bred in Maine by Lynn-Marie Plouffe, she has nine second place finishes in 16 career outings and returned $2.60 as the 1-5 favorite.

Dudelookslikeafily finished second; Ekorus (Andy Harrington) was third.

Looking ahead, the harness racing action continues at Windsor Fair on Tuesday (September 1) with all the 2- and 3-year-old trotters.  The freshmen sidesteppers hit town with the 2-year-old male pacers on Thursday (Sept. 3) and their female counterparts on Friday (Sept. 4).

For more information about the Maine Standardbred Breeders Stakes, follow them on Facebook @MaineBreedersAssociation, or go to their website:  MaineSireStakes.com