Scarborough Downs will host the 2-year-old finals of the Maine Standardbred Breeders Stakes on Sunday. Each of the three divisions of trotters, pacing fillies and pacing colts will compete for a total of $82,639 in MSBS finals purse money.

The is the Maine Sire Stakes 25th anniversary and since mid-July, when the 2-year-old divisions took their first competitive steps on the Bangor Raceway track, the juvenile trotters and pacers have competed, almost weekly, trying to earn enough points to make the lucrative stakes finals on Sunday.

After eight weeks of racing Maine’s agricultural circuit and extended meets, the top eight trotting competitors for Sunday’s $27,463 MSBS trotting final, in order of point standings, are: All Star Edition, (241), a Moving Forward gelding, owned, trained and driven by Ron Patoine; By Passer, (162) another Moving Forward gelding, owned by Harold Ralph of Waldoboro, trained by Dick Bartlett and driven by Dave Ingraham; and Geauga, (130) by Gorky Park, trained by Linwood Perkins, owned by his wife, Diann, and driven by John Nason.

Also: John T BertN Me (123); Blaine Brave (75); Westridge Alberta (68); Chucky’s Pick (60) and Fly Like Mike.

In the 2-year-old pacing fillies division, the top of the standings are almost a dead heat. In first place in the $27,630 MSBS filly final is Lady Kate, (350) a Radiant Ruler filly, owned and driven by Kevin Switzer and trained by Thomas Wildes Jr., with a seasonal record of six wins and two seconds in eight stakes starts. Won’t Touch This (300) sits a close second. Owned by East Pond Stable of Oakland and Gary Mosher, (also her driver) this Long Fella filly is trained by Peter Salley.

The third-place filly finisher is another Kevin Switzer owned/driven winner, Celeste Rules, (237) by Radiant Ruler and trained by Thomas Wildes Jr. Rounding out the point standings for the final are: Gone To Carolina (234); Lola Bunny (179); Mic Mac Special (174); Chandler A (139) and JT Mills (119).

In the 2-year-old $27,546 MSBS pacing colt final, the leader in the standings is George The Greek, (275) who seemed almost unbeatable in the early MSBS competitions. Another Kevin Switzer owned/driven and Thomas Wildes Jr. trained entry, this Wilco’s Data colt had a perfect seasonal win record in his division until he was beaten at Windsor by Baxter. Baxter also finished second in the point standings with (242) and is owned by Diann Perkins, trained by her husband, Linwood, and driven by John Nason.

The remainder of the pacing colt division standings are: Mr Norton (153); Fire With Courage (133); Happy Dragon (128); Radiant Gun (126); Stonehollow G (125) and Too Bad Rudy (122). Everything now depends on the draw for Sunday’s finals competition. Sunday’s post time at Scarborough Downs is 2 p.m.

PACING BITS – Has Gypsy, the record-setting 3-year-old Maine Sire Stakes pacing filly by Sweet Dragon, been sold? A tentative agreement has been reached between owner, Roosevelt Susi, and prospective buyers Bob and Yvette Prudenzano and Basil Kellis. The tentative agreement will be executed following the 3-year-old Maine Standardbred Breeders Stakes final on Oct. 17.

What was the sale price for Gypsy? Susi wouldn’t say, but said the prospective owners did leave a “equine security deposit” against the sale price for Gypsy. Two weeks ago, Susi turned down an offer of $40,000 from outside interests, he said, because he had already committed Gypsy to Prudenzano and Kellis. Prudenzano confirmed this week that he and Kellis had bought the filly for $30,000.

During the last five weeks of MSBS competition, Gypsy has been barred from wagering, because she laid over the field. Last Thursday at Windsor Fair, Gypsy circled the half-mile oval twice, with regular driver, Doug Gray, in the record-setting time of 1:55.1. It is the fastest time ever recorded for either sex or gait in the 25-year history of the Maine Sire Stakes.

Through Windsor Fair, Gypsy had seasonal earnings of $26,603 and the potential through the 3-year-old MSBS finals on Sunday, Oct. 17, to add approximately $24,000 to her bankroll. Her lifetime earnings stand at $48,722 with three weeks of competition and a final yet to be raced.

What’s Susi’s formula for his continued success in the Maine breeding stakes programs each year? “You have to breed to the very best mare you can and then ride a million miles with them to get them tough enough to compete,” Susi said.

Asked what is in the future for Gypsy, Prudenzano said she would probably go to Freehold Raceway in New Jersey and then to Pompano Park in Florida this winter.