August 3, 2025 — by Chris Tully, for the Maine Sire Stakes
(Joe Shaw photos)
CUMBERLAND, ME – Maine’s freshmen pacers are often a pre-cursor to future Standardbred stars in the Pine Tree State, and this season is proving to be no exception as Real Horrorshow continues to show that he is for real as divisional participants helped pull the curtain down on Saturday (Aug. 2) for Cumberland Raceway’s closing day.
In his $11,623 division of the Maine Sire Stakes driver Kevin Switzer Jr. put the heavy 1/9 favorite on the lead as the field chased him to the :29.3 opening panel.
By the 1:00.3 mid-way station a head strong Dude’s The Jet (Aaron Hall) had ranged up for a challenge first over with Daytoremember (Heath Campbell) enjoying a tight garden spot journey.
With a tight pack in his rearview mirror and the pocket sitter poised to pounce, Switzer Jr. let out a notch past the 1:31.2 third stanza, but couldn’t shake his pesky nemesis Daytoremember.
Down the stretch Heath Campbell was closing fast, but Real Horrorshow who was kept on high alert by his pilot, managed to secure a tight quarter-length victory in 2:00.2.
Trained by Kevin Switzer Sr. for owners KDK Standardbreds, Kathleen Mofield and Anthony Sivik Jr., the son of Dude’s The Man paid $2.20 for his fourth consecutive stakes victory.
Bred by Luke and Patricia Varnun, ‘horrorshow’ is the phonetic spelling of ‘good’ in the language of Nadset, which was the dialect spoken in the 1971 cult classic film Clockwork Orange. Real Horrorshow is from the Varnum’s Yankee Cruiser mare Pretty Eyes p,3,1:51.4 ($96,242) and is considered one of their favorite horses.
Daytoremember was a fast closing second; Wowzah Clousah (Mike Cushing) was third.
In the other $11,623 division an upset in week four of the Pine Tree State freshmen stakes, provided for a double digit payout.
Second choice Ghost Of Winter (6/5, Switzer Jr.) left swiftly with favorite Nuh Uh (4/5, Aaron Hall) dropping in the two-hole in route to the moderate :30.3 opening panel.
Not much movement led to an easy 1:02 half-mile marker, prompting Mia’s Boy (6-1, Mark Athearn) to pull from fourth and challenge first over down the backstretch while heading to the 1:33 third station.
While the loose pocket sitting Nuh Uh was busy looking into the infield around the final turn, Mia’s Boy had collared the steppy pacesetter and was turning the heretofore uneventful event into a horse race.
With his momentum interrupted, Ghost Of Winter was unable to stave off the closing speed of Mia’s Boy, as the latter got up by a head for the victory in 2:03.1, a maiden-breaking effort.
Driven by Mark Athearn for trainer Gretchen Athearn and owners Eric Dickson and Peter Whitmore, the son of Thirty Two Red was bred by Deborah Doane. He paid $15.80 to win his first lifetime start.
Looking ahead, with Maine’s pari-mutuel tracks on summer hiatus, the Pine Tree State-bred 3-year-old filly pacers head to the Topsham Fair on Monday (Aug. 4), with the 2- and 3-year-old trotters coming right back on Wednesday (Aug. 6).
For more information about the Maine Standardbred Breeders Stakes, follow our facebook page @MaineBreedersAssociation, or go to their website: https://www.mainesirestakes.com
