Windsor, Maine …. Emotions rose to the surface at the Windsor Fair on Tuesday (August 26) as a pair of accomplished veteran pacers rekindled the vigors of youth and dazzled in front of the fairground stands, just as they had on countless occasions throughout their storied harness racing careers.

Following Rockaholic’s (1:58.2-$9.20) gate-to-wire win, driver/trainer/owner, Andy Harrington, was eager to sing his pacer’s praises but the words came haltingly as the reins man’s heartfelt words caught in his throat.

“He’s such a fun horse and even at 15 he still loves his job” Harrington explained, “And this is our hometown fair, the whole family is here to celebrate with us. It’s a good time – especially for him – he deserves it”.

“Rock has so much to smile about tonight” Harrington’s wife, Sarah later added, “It’s so bittersweet marking off another fair with a win as he says goodbye on his farewell tour. Gosh, we love you Rock and your love for racing! Thank you for the amazing memories”.

Rockaholic is a 15-year-old son of Rocknroll Hanover who has now amassed 46 career wins and lifetime earnings of $379,393.

Under Maine Harness Racing Commission rules, 15-year-olds are allowed to compete at agricultural fair meets and in amateur driving completions, a rule that happily has allowed Rockaholic to continue to ply the trade he loves, and to bring endless joy to the people who love him.

Pembroke Scorpio (2:01.2-$15.80) continued the geriatric theme on Tuesday, securing a determined gate-to-wire score at the behest of driver David Ingraham.

The regally bred, 14-year-old son of Camluck (out of the Abercrombie mare, Stylish Smile) elevated his lifetime bankroll to $225,479 while winning for the 53rd time in his career, with all but his maiden breaking score at Woodbine coming in his adoptive home state of Maine.

“Sometimes I’m at a loss for words” mused a visibly emotional, owner/trainer Patty Sumner, “I still get nervous when he races but David takes good care of him. He’s such a special horse who has always had a special home. First with Valerie Grondin who made sure that I bought him when it was time for him to find his next home. And here he’ll stay because he’s such a big part of the family”.

Fan favorites like Rockaholic and Pembroke Scorpio have their ardent followers who throng to the tracks to witness their exploits and cheer them on. But the admiration from the stands can only pale in comparison to the love and respect that they have extracted from their caretakers.

The bond between these special horses and their special people is mighty indeed.

Windsor’s nine-day race meet continues on Thursday (August 28) with a 3:00 post time and will continue on a daily basis through Labor Day. Weekend post times will be at 1:00 pm (EDT) while the weekday cards will commence at 3:00 pm.

Windsor’s marquee events, the $15,000 Windsor Fair Invitational Pace and the $10,000 T.R. Dillon Logging Open Trot, will be held on Saturday (August 30) and Monday (September 1) respectively.

For those not able to come to the track, wagering on the Windsor Fair will be available on most major wagering platforms including Hollywood Races at www.hollywoodraces.com as well as at all state of Maine off track betting parlors.

The video for Windsor’s races will be live-streamed on the Windsor Fair’s Facebook page under the “Featured” tab, and the live audio of Windsor’s cards will be available along the online radio network of Mix Maine Media at The Mix 107.9 FM, True Country 93.5 FM, and THE Score 1160 AM as well as online at www.mixmaine.com

For complete race results, click here: US Trotting Results

by Mike Sweeney for Windsor Fair