April 18, 2024, by Chris Tully, for First Tracks Cumberland (Stephanie Gray photo)

CUMBERLAND, ME – Two dozen races comprise the second full weekend of racing at Cumberland Raceway in Southern, Maine, with full and competitive fields providing horsemen and bettors alike something to cheer about.

Friday’s (April 19) card features five trotting races, with the $6,000 featured class going postward in the opener.  Nick Graffam gets the call on the 6-5 favorite McStoned Again, who scores from post 5.  Trained by Chris Hitchcock, the 6-year-old son of Wishing Stone earned $69,981 last year, winning 8 races locally and in his native Buckeye State.  

To his left is Broadway Giant (Bruce Ranger, 3-1) who is looking to return to Cumberland’s Blue Seal Winners Circle, which he had visited on several occasions last winter.  Elegant Dulupin FR, a French-bred trotter who is now harnessed by the powerful Deslandes clan, has post 2 and comes off a sharp qualifier, which was an open-length winning effort last week.

The top filly and mare pacers enter the fray in race 11, with three recent winners vying for the $6,500 purse.

Granny’s Girl (Dan Deslandes, 6-5) will look to repeat her wire-to-wire 1:59.1 effort last week.  She scores from post five and is the freshest of the bunch with this being just her second seasonal start.  Pretty Gorgeous (Kevin Switzer Jr., 4-1) appears to be race-ready as she makes her 13^th seasonal start and shows 1:57 speed in many of her recent lines.

Looking ahead, the upper echelon male pacers tussle in Saturday’s (April 20) 3^rd race, with Second Bruiser (Drew Campbell, 2-1) set as the early morning line favorite from pylon position in the $6,000 event.  Trained by Eric Bickmore, the 6-year-old is looking for 2-in-a-row, having defeated a softer group last week.  Second choice is Art Of Endurance (Switzer Jr., 7-2) with post 4, who won 5-in-a-row at Cumberland last winter.  Lexus Witha View (Nick Graffam, 9-2) rounds out the top three contenders.

The Maine Amateur Driving Club goes postward as Saturday’s race 11, with some of the series’ most popular horses and drivers competing for purses and bragging rights. 

Jason Bertolini drives his trusty Led Schneppelin (7-1) from pylon position, with Southwind Terror (Benson Merrill) leaving from post 3 as the early 2-1 favorite.  Just outside of him is the fan favorite Putnam’s Storm (Bob Nadeau) and then perhaps the season’s most seasoned entry, Polyester (Hunter Loftfus, post 5) who has 10 seasonal starts under his belt and is now listed at 5-2.

The $5,000 event is faithfully sponsored by the helpful folks at Blue Seal Feed Stores of North Yarmouth and Windham, Maine.

Saturday’s Card features twelve races with post time for both days at 3:15 pm.

First Tracks Cumberland Spring/Summer meet will continue throughout the Spring and early Summer months with regular racing on Friday and Saturday each weekend during the extended pari-mutuel meeting, which runs through August 3.

For additional information, visit our website at firsttrackscumberland.com, or find us on social media at https://www.facebook.com/FirstTracksCumberland/

April 15, 2024, by Chris Tully, for First Tracks Cumberland

CUMBERLAND, ME – Top Maine pacer The Bird Dance N showed his heels to the field as he overpowered a strong group of top class sidesteppers to take Cumberland’s $7,000 Winners Over feature on Sunday (April 14) in 1:55.3.

The 1-9 heavy favorite was sent right to the top by red-hot driver Dan Deslandes, the position where the pair are most comfortable.  From that point it was only a matter of how fast and by how many the duo would leave the field in their wake.  Ultimately, the thunder from down under was rated well with splits in 27.3, 58.2 (30:4) and 1:27 with a final quarter in 28.3, scoring in hand by 2-3/4 lengths.

It was the 38^th career victory for the fractious 9-year-old son of A Rocknroll Dance who is trained by Karl Butterfield and owned by Jose Cerventes.  With lifetime earnings of $283,083, it appears that the The Bird Dance is well on his way to another successful campaign.  He paid $2.20 for the win.

Alex Having Fun (Aaron Hall) finished second; Lexus Witha View A (Nick Graffam) was third.

Karl Butterfield had four wins on the program, with the other three driven by Shawn Thayer: Ohoka Johnny N (1:57.3, $3.40); Rod’s Beach (1:57.2, $3.00); and It’s Above Me Now (1:58.4, $3.60).

The Deslandes clan followed up their big opening day with driver Dan grabbing his second grand slam in a row, three of which came from the collective stable of trainer Jeff and caretaker Kori: Miss You Big Mike (1:57, $3.80); Bo Master (1:58.1, $4.40); and Next Big Thing (1:59.3, $2.60).

The anticipated debut of the Maine Amateur Driving Club saw driver McKenzie Sowers pick right up where she left off, copping the $5,000 event with her own Premier Joy A in 1:59.  Sowers took immediate command from post 4 and never looked back with the 1-5 favorite.  They paid $2.40 to win.  Always A Panther (Larry Dancer) finished second; Deedee Didit (Jame Gerard) was third.  The race sponsored by Blue Seal Feed Stores of North Yarmouth and Windham, Maine.

Sowers got two wins as a conditioner on the day’s program, also getting a victory with the Walter Case Jr.-driven Cinco Senorita in 1:59.1.

Horsemen are reminded to check the US Trotting’s online condition sheet for next week’s double draw which will be held Tuesday (April 16) for the Friday & Saturday (April 19 & 20) race dates.  Additional information, plus live coverage and replays and is available on our website: https://firsttrackscumberland.com/

Racing resumes at First Tracks Cumberland on Friday (April 19).  The current meet will continue throughout the Spring and early Summer months with regular racing on Friday and Saturday each weekend.  First post continues to be scheduled for 3:15 pm (EDT) during the extended pari-mutuel meeting, which runs through August 3.

April 14, 2024, by Chris Tully, for First Tracks Cumberland (Joe Shaw photo)

CUMBERLAND, ME – Warrawee Preferred won the $7,500 Jack Frost Preferred Trot at Cumberland on Saturday (April 13), which was his second win of the week.  Driven to victory by Walter Case Jr. for trainer McKenzie Sowers, the 13-year-old son of Federal Flex had just won a $7,500 NAADA amateur event at Monticello on Wednesday.

Scoring from post 7, Case grabbed early position by ducking in the 4-hole heading into a :29.2 opening panel set by Mister Muscle (Aaron Hall).  Approaching the softer 1:02.1 half, Power Mitt (Kevin Switzer Jr.) had pulled first up and Warrawee Preferred benefitted from the live cover second over.

As the field picked up momentum toward the third stanza in 1:32, Warrawee Preferred was three-wide on the outside and had just Power Mitt to contend with around the final turn and through the stretch.  The pair battled down the lane but it was the 6-5 favorite Warrawee Preferred that prevailed by 1-1/4 lengths in the final strides to get his second victory in a row.

Owned by Ryan Berry, it was the 65^th win of his career, pushing his lifetime bankroll to $359,736.  He paid $4.40 to win.  Prescott (Andy Harrington) got up to be second; Power Mitt hung on for third.

A robust crowd enjoyed food and refreshments in the grandstand and enjoyed partly sunny skies on the apron for the fourth annual opening day of the Spring-Summer meet at the iconic Southern Maine oval.  Punters wagered $104,719 on the eleven race card, which was the first of over 50 race dates at the extended pari-mutuel harness track.

The Deslandes clan followed up their big qualifying day with a four-bagger on the afternoon program.  Driver Dan, trainer Jeff and caretaker Kori took home all the bacon with victories by: Fomor (2:06.3, $4.40), J S Peyton (2:02, $4.20), Granny’s Girl (1:59.1, $3.00) and Grand Galop Semalu (2:01, $2.80).

Driver Mike Stevenson enjoyed a double on the card, including a $36.20 score with his own charge Rojas Blue Chip.

Racing returns for Sunday’s (April 14) card which features a Winners Over $10,000 handicap vying for $7,000 in purse money.

The Bird Dance N, fresh off an his 1:57.1 qualifier on Tuesday, has been listed as the 6-5 early choice.  Driven by the red-hot Dan Deslandes (post 5) for trainer Karl Butterfield, the 9-year-old son of a Rocknroll Dance earned $68,491 last season with 10 wins in 27 starts.  He already has 9 starts this season and appears to be in top form.

The second choice is Alex Having Fun (Aaron Hall, post 6), who has been freshened up by owner/trainer Kimberly Vafiades and looks to expand upon his 2023 $90,740 seasonal total.

The Maine Amateur Driving Club also makes it’s Spring debut with fan favorite Putnam’s Storm (and 86-year-old Bob Nadeau) taking on the Maine faithful in the $5,000 event sponsored by Blue Seal Feed Stores of North Yarmouth and Windham, Maine.

Sunday’s Card features eleven races with post time slated for 3:15 pm.

Horsemen are reminded to check the US Trotting’s online condition sheet for next week’s double draw which will be held Tuesday (April 16) for the Friday & Saturday (April 19 & 20) race dates.  Additional information, plus live coverage and replays and is available on our website: https://firsttrackscumberland.com/

First Track’s Cumberland Spring/Summer meet will continue throughout the Spring and early Summer months with regular racing on Friday and Saturday each weekend.  First post continues to be scheduled for 3:15 pm (EDT) during the extended pari-mutuel meeting, which runs through August 3.

April 12, 2024, by Chris Tully, for First Tracks Cumberland

CUMBERLAND, ME – When Race Secretary Rob Pennington and his assistant Andrew Topham opened the ‘virtual’ box for Cumberland’s opening weekend, they were pleased to find 160 horses had been dropped in for the double draw for Saturday and Sunday (April 13 & 14).

“With eight qualifiers on Tuesday, and the added purse incentives on the condition sheet, we anticipated full participation from the Maine horse people,” noted Topham.  “And they did not disappoint, as we have carded eleven races for both harness racing dates.”

While the Spring opener has brought the Pine Tree State faithful back to Cumberland, there are a myriad of Standardbreds that show their last starts at Saratoga, Monticello, Buffalo, The Meadows, Pocono, Northfield, Freehold and the Meadowlands.

Saturday’s (April 13) card features three $7,500 divisions of horses who raced in the 2023 holiday series with nine of the day’s races showing full fields of either seven or eight horses with their noses on the Wes Brown starting gate. 

The co-featured $7,500 sixth race carries a host of veteran trotters, led by the McKenzie Sowers-trained Warrawee Preferred.  Coming off a win last week at the Mighty M, the 13-year-old winner of $355,986 will be driven by Walter Case, Jr. from post 7, and has been installed as the 3-1 favorite.

Looking to steal some of his thunder will be Prescott (Andy Harrington, 4-1) who has drawn post 2 and has not missed a check in his last eight starts.  He earned $25,559 last season for trainer Sara Harrington and owner Gibbs Racing.

Sunday’s (April 14) card welcomes a Winners Over $10,000 handicap vying for $7,000 in purse money, with all the usual suspects looking for their piece of the pie in race 8.

The Bird Dance N, fresh off an eye-popping 1:57.1 qualifier on Tuesday, has been listed as the 6-5 early choice.  Driven by Dan Deslandes (post 5) for trainer Karl Butterfield, the 9-year-old son of a Rocknroll Dance earned $68,491 last season with 10 wins in 27 starts.  He already has 9 starts this season and appears to be in top form.

The second choice is Alex Having Fun (Aaron Hall, post 6), who has been freshened up by owner/trainer Kimberly Vafiades and looks to expand upon his 2023 $90,740 seasonal total.

The Maine Amateur Driving Club also makes it’s Spring debut in race 6, with fan favorite Putnam’s Storm (and 86-year-old Bob Nadeau) taking on the younger whipper-snappers in the $5,000 event sponsored by Blue Seal Feed Stores of North Yarmouth and Windham, Maine.

Sunday’s Card features eleven races with post time for both days at 3:15 pm.

Horsemen are reminded to check the US Trotting’s online condition sheet for next week’s double draw which will be held Tuesday (April 16) for the Friday & Saturday (April 19 & 20) race dates.  Additional information, plus live coverage and replays and is available on our website: https://firsttrackscumberland.com/

First Track’s Cumberland Spring/Summer meet will continue throughout the Spring and early Summer months with regular racing on Friday and Saturday each weekend.  First post continues to be scheduled for 3:15 pm (EDT) during the extended pari-mutuel meeting, which runs through August 3.

April 9, 2024, by Chris Tully, for First Tracks Cumberland

CUMBERLAND, ME – Driver Dan Deslandes took five of the eight qualifying races that went postward at First Tracks Cumberland (Maine) on Tuesday (April 9), with four of the victories coming from his dad’s stable, Jeff Deslandes. 

Sunny skies and warm temperatures in the 50’s enhanced the afternoon action, with Deslandes also taking the swiftest event of the day with local star The Bird Dance N in 1:57.1, who is trained by Karl Butterfield.

Of the ten Deslandes disciples that raced, the four winners were trotter Elegant Dulupin FR (2:02.3) and pacers Next Big Thing (2:00.2), Grand Galop Semalu (1:59.3), and Miss U Big Mike (1:59.2).  The Deslandes clan also had four horses finish second for an overall 10-4-4-0 summary.

Maine Sire Stakes champion Luke McGook made his 4-year-old debut in race five, finishing second in the same race as fan-favorite grey gelding Putnam’s Storm and his 86-year-old trainer-driver-owner Bob Nadeau. 

Opening weekend’s double draw for Saturday & Sunday (April 13 & 14), has the box closing at a special time of 1 pm (EDT) on Wednesday (April 10).  Special classes with higher purses have been written to reward horses who participated in the Winter Late Closing Series at Cumberland. Review the condition sheet on the USTA’s online entry system for more details.

First Track’s Cumberland Spring/Summer meet will continue throughout the Spring and early Summer months with regular racing on Friday and Saturday each weekend.  First post is slated for 3:15 pm (EDT) during the extended pari-mutuel meeting, which runs through August 3.

April 8, 2024, by Chris Tully, for First Tracks Cumberland

CUMBERLAND, ME – Eight qualifying races are carded and ready to roll at First Tracks Cumberland (Maine) on Tuesday (April 9).  Sixty horses filled the entry box for tomorrow’s 11:30 am post time, which will be broadcast in its totality on the Racetrack Television Network.

With the upcoming Spring meet at Cumberland taking shape, a host of 3-year-olds all the way up to 15-year-old Putnam’s Storm are ready to take on the teletimer and their peers in the first harness racing action in the state of Maine for 2024.

The continued forecast is for sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-50s through the afternoon, which has led to a swift melting of the lofty snowfall totals that wreaked havoc on the area last weekend.

The fan-favorite grey gelding Putnam’s Storm, who enters the encore of his career, will be driven by his 86-year-old owner/trainer Bob Nadeau in race five.  Just inside him is Maine Sire Stakes champion Luke McGook who is now four and continues to race for his Leighton Property ownership. 

Race Secretary Rob Pennington orchestrated a very competitive qualifying card, in hopes of attracting much of this talent to the first draw for opening weekend.  A double draw shall be conducted for Saturday & Sunday (April 13 & 14), with the box closing at a special time of 1 pm (EDT) on Wednesday (April 10).  The overnight condition sheet for the first week of racing is now available on the USTA’s online entry system.

First Track’s Cumberland Spring/Summer meet will continue throughout the Spring and early Summer months with regular racing on Friday and Saturday each weekend.  First post is slated for 3:15 pm (EDT) during the extended pari-mutuel meeting, which runs through August 3.

QUALIFYING RACE PAGES — click HERE

Friday, April 5, 2024  —  by Chris Tully, for First Tracks Cumberland

Cumberland, ME — First Tracks Cumberland management has announced that due to the Nor’easter that blanketed the area with a foot of snow and left several hundred thousand Maine residents without power, the opening qualifiers have been postponed until Tuesday (April 9).  The box will remain open until 10 am Monday (April 8).  Post time will be 11:30 am, and will be aired live on the Racetrack Television Network (RTN).

Due to the nature of the storm cleanup, and considering the new qualifying race date, the opening weekend of the Spring-Summer meet will now begin a day later on Saturday (April 13).  This opening day card will be immediately followed by a second day of racing on Sunday (April 14), which is a slight departure from the regular Friday-Saturday schedule.  Post time remains 3:15 pm.

Horsemen should note that there will be a double draw on Wednesday (April 10) for both racing dates.

As always, timely updates can be found on the tracks website: firsttrackscumberland.com and on social media.

by Chris Lomon The start of Andrew Topham’s horse racing…

Source: Andrew Topham is charting his course in harness racing

March 26, 2024, by Chris Tully, for First Tracks Cumberland

CUMBERLAND, ME — First Tracks Cumberland is pleased to announce that the initial qualifying races slated for Saturday (April 6) will be broadcast live on the Race Track Network (RTN).  The action starts at 11:30 a.m. (EDT) in a little over ten days. 

Trainers should declare by 9 am on Friday (April 5).  Horses that have a clean line from December 1, 2023, or after, are NOT required to qualify through the first two weekends of racing (until April 20).  Beginning with the draw for the April 26^th program, the 45-day rule goes back into effect.

Race Secretary Rob Pennington stated, “The track crew has done an excellent job maintaining the racing surface over the winter, which will benefit the racehorses and the horse people alike.  By all accounts, everyone in Maine is looking forward to another exciting Spring-Summer meet at the iconic Cumberland oval in Southern Maine.”

Condition sheets for the upcoming meet will be available after the qualifiers, and additional information is always available on our website: https://firsttrackscumberland.com/

In addition to the live RTN broadcast, qualifiers will also be streamed live via the internet (free) on our website.  Click on live racing/video replays.  The live racing icon in the player box will be enabled. 

First Tracks Cumberland will remain on RTN channel 9747 this season.  Race fans and horsemen can also go to: www.rtn.tv

Opening day for First Tracks Cumberland Spring-Summer meet is April 12, with regular racing on Friday and Saturday each weekend.  First post is slated for 3:15 pm (EDT) throughout the extended pari-mutuel meeting, which runs for 17 weeks (34 race dates) through August 3.

For additional racing information, sign up for the for First Tracks Cumberland text messaging service.  On a web browser, go to the following link: https://eztxt.s3.amazonaws.com/777323/widgets/6084704675f167.16040906.html