Foaled just one day apart and raised in adjoining stalls, Barbra Ann and Maeve have been harness racing stablemates from the beginning. Inseparable since day one, they've grown and frolicked together, were broke and trained down together, and together for the past two seasons have terrorized the filly pacing division of the Maine Sire Stakes program.
There is something quite poetic then, that at the conclusion of their sophomore season these two best friends should deadlock in the balloting for Distaff Pacer of the Year at Scarborough Downs.
"They really do care for each other" said co-owner Denise McNitt. "It's fortunate that they've raced in the same stakes division for the past two years because they really hate to be separated. When Barbra Ann went to the paddock alone for the stakes final she was pretty agitated that Maeve wasn't there with her."
Barbra Ann did have to defend the stable honor by herself in the $85,156 Maine Sires Stakes final last October as Maeve sat sidelined with a tendon injury aggravated in her final prep race at the Fryeburg Fair. Mane harness fans were denied the opportunity to witness the much-ballyhooed showdown between these accomplished stablemates, but with Maine-native Jason Bartlett in town to drive, Barbra Ann nearly brought the house down as she fell just nose short of overcoming the 8-hole and winning one for her stricken pal on the biggest stage of her career.
Barbra Ann closed out the season with a record of 8 wins from 12 starts and seasonal earnings of $65,481. She currently holds Scarborough's two-year-old filly pacing record by virtue of her 1:57.1 clocking taken during the freshman stakes finals in 2010.
Maeve heads to the broodmare ranks after closing out the year with 6 wins from 10 seasonal starts and earnings of $36,833. She retires holding Scarborough's track record for sophomore fillies, 1:56.1, taken in her final appearance at the seaside oval on September 10th.
While accepting the awards during closing weekend at Scarborough Downs, driver, trainer and co-owner, Kevin Switzer brought grooms Tegan Christie and Elizabeth Richardson trackside with him to recognize the major role they played in allowing these two fillies to realize their potential.
"The fans see the two fillies and they see me driving them but what they don't see is the selfless dedication and hard work that these two young women put forth every day to help Barbra Ann and Maeve succeed. The show doesn't go on without outstanding grooms like Liz and Tegan. These awards really belong to them."
And what a show it has been folks, all season long, while the two best filly friends sparked debate as to which one was the best. The question remained unanswered as the much anticipated match race in the final failed to materialize and the question remains unanswered still with this dead heat in the year end voting.
The mystery remains - and that's probably just how Barbra Ann and Maeve would prefer it.