CCC, the undefeated Maine Sire Stakes star du jour, will bring his five-race win streak to Scarborough Downs on Friday afternoon set to test his mettle against all the top contenders in the freshman colt trotting division which, for the first time this season, draws into one single 9 horse field going for the enhanced purse offering of $10,809.

Driven and trained by Kim Ireland for owner Dennis and Deborah Foss, the prolific winner will match strides for only the 2nd time this season with his chief rival, Bickmore, a trotter who himself will ride a three-race win streak into the much anticipated battle. In their only other meeting, CCC defeated Bickmore by the margin of a head back on July 5th at Scarborough Downs - that was the last time that Bickmore tasted defeat.

Maine Sire Stakes rules have innocently conspired to keep these two trotters apart for much of the season as the numerically challenged division has been split and raced in dashes containing as few as 4 or 5 horses. When the box closed at Scarborough this week though, while 9 colts were entered only 8 were declared eligible and the division was drawn into one split.

Stephen La Casse, trainer of Icantelluonething, the horse declared ineligible, challenged the ruling alleging an incorrectly charted line from the Northern Maine Fair, an allegation which was proved correct, and the race was then ordered redrawn into a 9-horse field scoring 8 abreast with one trailer.

This redraw dramatically changes the complexion of the race with CCC trading in the coveted post 3 for a seat behind the 6 screen. Bickmore lost his spot on the gate as he was forced to trade in the favorable post 4 for the uncertainty of the trailing 9 spot.

Both CCC and Bickmore have relied on early gate speed to dominate their opponents this season but that strategy now becomes a bit more risky as the two-year-old trotters will be asked to do something they have never done before; CCC perhaps to leave from the outside wing in a 9-horse field and Bickmore to navigate the possible traffic and confusion sometimes found from the second tier.

In any event, the race becomes a much more interesting contest from a wagering perspective as the two Stakes stars, who have generally been sent to the post at 10 or 20 cents to the dollar, should command significantly more relative value at the mutuel windows on Friday and with steady starters posted to the inside on the gate, a major upset is certainly not out of the question.

First post for Friday's card at Scarborough is slated for 4:00 PM (EDT) with the showdown between CCC and Bickmore scheduled for race five.

Live racing continues throughout the weekend with Saturday's card going postward at 4:00 PM and the Sunday matinee, featuring the 9th annual Family Fun Day festival, getting underway at 1:05 PM.