Bill Varney of Bangor notched a hat trick Sunday, as three of his horses were victorious in the feature races during the most impressive card of the Maine harness racing season at Bangor Raceway.  

Not only did horses he owned win both legs of the Maine Standardbred Breeders Stakes for two-year-old pacing colts, Varney was in the sulky himself as Stars Photo trotted the fastest mile in Maine thus far in 2005. The veteran trotter won the featured trot by two and a half lengths over the ultra consistent Classic Andy (Kim Ireland.) Grand Adventure (Linwood Gray) finished third in the 2:00 mile, which eclipsed the 2:00.2 mark established earlier this season by Current Cast. 

Earlier in the card, two Varney owned freshman pacers won their respective divisions of the Maine Standardbred Breeders Stakes. In the first $6,009 division, Pembroke Deluxe (Heath Campbell) came from well off the pace to record the first win of his career. Front running Dapper Yapper Do (Kim Ireland) held on for second, while Hutch A Near (John Nason) was third. Varney’s Pembroke Touch cruised to victory in the second division, which was contested for a purse of $5,833. Wounded Soldier (Gary Mosher) finished second, while Logan’s Lightning (Greg Bowden) grabbed the show spot. Valerie Grondin trains both Pembroke Deluxe and Pembroke Touch. 

Two divisions of MSBS action for three-year-old colts and geldings were also featured on the fourteen race card at Bangor, and pair of colts each won their second stakes event of the season. In the first division, contested for a purse of $6,246, Dragons Descent (Ivan Davies) got every call and prevailed over Race Me Volcano (Kim Ireland) and Billy Biltmore (Heath Campbell) Trained by Owen Davies, Dragon’s Descent is owned by Harold and Nancy Dresser of Lyndonville, Vermont.  In the second division for sophomores Sammy Neutron (Jason Bartlett) won his fourth race of 2005 in just five starts when he too went gate to wire. The 1:58 mile established a new lifetime mark for Sammy Neutron, who is owned by Arlene Shaw and Alice Bonenfant of Augusta. KDK Bellagio (Kevin Switzer) rallied for second, while Oh Happy Days (Greg Bowden) finished third.  

On a card that prominently featured the Maine Standardbred Breeders Stakes, it only seemed appropriate that a former stakes star would regain a bit of glory. In the $4,850 final of the William Turner Memorial Trot Moving By Passer scored an upset victory and won his first race in two seasons. Graelin N (Gary Mosher) closed well to finish second, while Sonic Scott (Wilbur Brown) was third in the 2:02.2 mile. Moving By Passer, who was a dominant performer in the MSBS program during 1999 and 2000, is now owned by R. Stephen Ralph of Union and is trained by the veteran Rodney Grady. Jason Bartlett was once again in the sulky, and the victory was one of five he had on the Sunday program. 

At Scarborough Downs on Sunday afternoon, Twin B Candy (Shawn Gray) prevailed in the closing strides to win the $3,700 Joyce Tiner Memorial Pace. The race honored the memory of a longtime Maine racing official who passed away last fall. Josie Venture (Ron Patoine) photoed out Eighth Wonder (Wallace Watson) for the place spot in the 1:58.4 mile. It was the seventh win of the season for Twin B Candy, who is owned by Scott Brewer of West Gardiner and trained by Gray.  

Driver Drew Campbell also won four of the nine races on the Scarborough card Sunday.