Mainers dominated opening day at Plainridge (Mass.) Racecourse Monday, winning seven of the 13 races. Kevin Switzer Jr. of Cumberland had a triple, winning the first race of 2007 with Patrician in 2:00.3 on the 5/8-mile track, the 11th race with Sand Bunny in 2:00.1 and the final with Dalton Sylberun in 1:57.2. Kevin Switzer Sr. trains all three horses and is the owner of Patrician. Kathleen Mofield and Lorna Cohen own the other two.

Trainer-driver Shawn Gray of Gardiner won twice, scoring with Roy Bean Hanover in 1:57.2 and with Sam Francisco Ace in 1:59.2. Jason Bartlett of Windsor drove Herzon to victory in 2:00.1. Dick Bartlett of Windsor is the trainer, Kristen Bartlett and Brooke Dillon are the owners.

Shane Taggart, a Scarborough Downs regular, drove Hathaway Writer to a 2:00.4 win for trainer Robert Marston and owner Michael Marston, both of Maine.

Gee Gee Giant won the $7,000 pacing feature in 1:57.3 for driver Todd Smith and trainer-owner Michael Perpall. Sammy Neutron, driven by Jason Bartlett, was only a nose behind the winner and a nose in front of third-place finisher Whitlock N and driver Kevin Switzer Jr.

Horses with Maine connections won eight of 13 races Tuesday. Jason Bartlett, the defending Plainridge driving champ, won three while Ron Cushing of Wilton won two, Shawn Gray and Shane Taggart one each. Youch Powder, owned by Mainer Gordon Dubois Sr. and trained by Todd Dubois, won in 2:01.4 for Jim Hardy.

Bartlett won with Jaccka Seelster in 1:58.4. Mainer Ron Bolduc owns the horse and Jamie Gerard is the trainer. Bartlett also drove a pair of out-of-state horses to victory.

Trainer-driver Shawn Gray won with Artofthemillenium in 1:56. Shane Taggart won with Marie Polo in 1:59.1. Amy Taggart is the trainer.

Maine Prime Time Stable sent several horses to major tracks during the winter, including The Meadowlands, Yonkers and Monticello, where they raced against elite competition. The horses, owned by Mike Cayouette of Vassalboro, John Loiko Sr. of Augusta and Jim Christenson of Monmouth, earned in excess of $71,000. The horses were Matrix, Tam, Makeithappen, Top Elite Rocket, Monai and So Tuffian. Gary Mosher of Oakland is the trainer-driver for Maine Prime Time Stable.

Lee Allen of Winslow writes horse racing columns for the Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel. E-mail him at elallen@adelphia.net.