Two years ago, Rodeo du Ruisseau won the Walter H. Hight Memorial Pace. Last year, Rodeo du Ruisseau won the Hight Invitational again, shaving nearly two seconds off the Skowhegan State Fair track record in the process.

Rodeo du Ruisseau is back and is going for an unprecedented third Hight Invitational win in a row.

It won’t be easy in a strong field of six horses, said Walter Hight, the grandson of the race’s namesake.

“Any one of them could win it,” Hight said. “It’s going to be a good race.”

Post time for today’s first race is 1 p.m. The Hight Invitational is the 11th race and should start at approximately 3:40 p.m. The race has a $12,000 purse, with a $4,000 bonus if the winner breaks the track record.

Driven by W. Drew Campbell, Rodeo du Ruisseau set a track record in last year’s race, 1:52.3, taking almost two seconds off the previous record. He hasn’t come close to that time this year. Rodeo du Ruisseau’s best time this season is 1:55.4, and in 18 starts, Rodeo du Ruisseau has two wins.

Blindsided, which will be driven by Shane Taggart, has the fastest time in the field this season, 1:52.3, which ties the mark set by Rodeo du Ruisseau in last year’s race. Bindsided has four wins in 20 starts.

Malek Hanover will be driven by Kevin Switzer and has six wins in 15 starts. Malek Hanover ran 1:53.3, the second-fastest pacing mile in state this year, at Scarborough Downs on June 4.

Driven by Kevin Switzer, Jr., Western Comfort ran 1:54.0 at Scarborough on June 18. Western Comfort has nine wins in 18 starts this year.

Doubleshotascotch also has a best time of 1:54.0 and has three wins in 25 races. The driver will be Heath Campbell.

A Place Out West rounds out the field. Driven by Michael Cushing, A Place Out West has three wins in 16 starts and a top time of 1:57.1 this year.

The weather forecast calls for a chance of thunder showers Saturday afternoon in Skowhegan, with a high temperature in the low 80s.

Travis Lazarczyk — 861-9242

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