May 7, 2022, by Chris Tully for First Tracks Cumberland (Stephanie Gray photos)

CUMBERLAND, ME – Veteran reinsman Bruce Ranger sprung Broadway Giant from the starting gate and never looked back, winning the $6,000 featured Open II Trot at Cumberland on Friday (May 6).

Scoring from post three, Ranger secured the 8-year-old son of Broadway Hall through comfortable opening fractions of :29.3 and 1:00.4 while maintaining a comfortable advantage over Eternal Faith (Drew Campbell) who sat in the two hole.

Warrawee Preferred (Matt Athearn) who was assigned the outside post six got away last and was forced to come first over when passing the stands for the first time.  While poking a head into the second position at the third panel in 1:30.1, last week’s victor was unable to maintain his challenge and faded in the final turn.

With no clear upsetters in sight, Ranger was able to get the job done by 1-3/4 lengths in 2:00.1.  Betting favorite Northern Skyway (Nick Graffam) was able to shake free from the pack and charged home in :29.4 to be second.  Little Macabee (Aaron Hall) rallied to be third.

Broadway Giant paid $11.20 to win.  He is owned and trained by Ron Patoine.

The swiftest race of the day followed immediately thereafter when Roll Me Away (Shawn Thayer) made a big move down the backside to swoop the pack, charge down the lane, and win by a nose over Edelman (Aaron Hall) in 1:57.3.  The conditioned pace carried a purse of $4,400, with the 4-year-old son of Time To Roll grabbing the lion’s share for owner Sharon Ward and trainer Fred Ward Jr.

Roll Me Away paid $11.40 to win.

Saturday’s Derby Day live harness racing card has nine races, with one division of the Maine Amateur Driving Club.  Club president Joe Burke drives the favorite Meetmeatthedance in race 8. 

There are great wagering opportunities all day at Cumberland.  The opener features the regular menu of offerings, plus the start of the 50 cent Pick-5.  Race three is the start of the 20 cent Pick-6.  Race six has a 20 cent Superfecta, as well as the start of the Pick-4.  The race nine finale carries our always popular 20 cent Hi-Five with a reduced 16% takeout.

Racing fans and bettors will be able to watch and wager on this weekend’s iconic program from Churchill Downs.  The action starts at 10:30 am (EDT) and features the 148th running of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday (May 7). 

Full Churchill Downs programs will be available and betting windows will be open for the first post at 10:30 am, which is broadcast live from Louisville, Kentucky.  There will be TV monitors covering all the Thoroughbred action, and the Trackside Pub concession stand will also be open in the Fairgrounds grandstand.

Post time is 4 p.m. (EDT) for the Saturday’s live harness racing, with qualifiers starting at 3 p.m.  During our live card, twenty of horse racing’s brightest stars shine in the $3,000,000 Kentucky Derby.  They spring from the starting gate at 6:57 pm on Saturday (May 7).

Cumberland’s extended pari-mutuel meeting races each weekend through July 23.

May 3, 2022, by Chris Tully for First Tracks Cumberland

CUMBERLAND, ME – First Tracks Cumberland is pleased to announce that racing fans and bettors will be able to watch and wager on this weekend’s iconic programs from Churchill Downs.  Each card starts at 10:30 am (EDT) and features the Kentucky Oaks on Friday (May 6) and the 148th running of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday (May 7). 

Full Churchill Downs programs will be available and betting windows will be open for the first post at 10:30 am, which is broadcasted live from Louisville, Kentucky.  There will be TV monitors covering all the Thoroughbred action, and the Trackside Pub concession stand will also be open in the Fairgrounds grandstand.

At a new post time of 4 p.m. (EDT) on both the Friday and Saturday full cards of live Cumberland harness racing will start, with each program consisting of ten races.  Post time for the $1,250,000 Kentucky Oaks is slated for 5:51 pm on Friday (May 6).  The following day, the 20 runners in the $3,000,000 Kentucky Derby will spring from the starting gate at 6:57 pm on Saturday (May 7).

Cumberland’s extended pari-mutuel meeting races each weekend through July 23.

May 1, 2022, by Chris Tully for First Tracks Cumberland (Stephanie Gray photos)

CUMBERLAND, ME – Provisional driver Jason Bertolini drove Sherry Cushing’s Air Force Grad like a seasoned pro in one of Saturday’s (April 30) Maine Amateur Driving Club (MADC) races, and lit up the tote board in victory at 18-1.

Scoring from post three, Air Force Grad (post 3, Bertolini) took a seat fourth on the pylons and waited patiently while the other teamsters jockeyed for position.  Three Day Forecast (post 1, Todd Whitney) cut the opening fractions of 28.2 and 59.2 while Putnams Storm (post 2, Bob Nadeau) gave no quarter to a parked out Bettor Reason N (post 6, Zack Gray).

As the field passed the stands going to the half Baywood Shadow (post 7, Derek Howes) enjoyed the second over cover while Gucciriffic (post 5, Karl Butterfield) was also out and moving third over.  With three in and three out, and foreseeing tiring cover, Howes moved Baywood Shadow three-wide down the backside into a 1:29.2 third quarter.  This caused Butterfield to swing four deep with Gucciriffic, which gave Bertolini cover and racing room to follow Howes through the turn and blast past the tiring leader and win by three-quarters of a length in 2:01.3.

The 11-year-old son of The Panderosa is owned and trained by Charlene ‘Sherry’ Cushing and paid a whopping $39.60 to win for the 25^th time in his career.  Gucciriffic finished a fast closing second; Baywood Shadow was third in the $3,800 MADC group C.

In the $4,200 MADC group B, Benson Merrill guided Zampara to a wire-to-wire victory in 2:01.3, scoring by 3-1/2 lengths.

The 8-year-old son of American Ideal is also trained by Benson Merrill and is owned by Mo Coo Inc.  Led Schneppelin finished second; Imageofarocker was third.

The featured race of the day was a $5,200 conditioned pace, and was captured by Aaron Hall’s gutsy veteran pacer Lucan Hanover in 1:58.1.  Scoring from post 5, Hall got the 12-year-old son of Western Ideal away third, came first over at the half and sprinted off to win by 1-3/4 lengths.

Lucan Hanover is owned, trained and was driven by Aaron Hall and paid $4.80 to win.  Entering the race with $1,330,331 in lifetime earnings, it was the 58^th win of his career.  Miss U Big Mike finished second; King Royalty was third.

‘Double-Digit’ Dave Ingraham lived up to his Pompano nick name, scoring in his first start back at Cumberland with Arsenal.  Owned and trained by Kelly Case, the 14-year-old son of Artiscape paid $57.20 to win for the 51^st time in 410 lifetime starts.

Wally Watson drove two winners for his wife Lisa Watson, who trained both victors.  After four weeks with eight racing programs Kevin Switzer Jr. leads the drivers’ standings and Benson Merrill is the top conditioner, both ahead by just one win.

First Tracks Cumberland is pleased to announce that racing fans and bettors will be able to watch and wager on next weekend’s iconic programs from Churchill Downs.  Each card starts at 10:30 am and features the Kentucky Oaks on Friday (May 6) and the 148th running of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday (May 7).  Programs, betting windows, monitors and concessions will be available in the Fairgrounds grandstand.

Beginning Friday (May 6), post time for the Spring/Summer meet has been moved to 4 p.m. (EDT) for both the Friday and Saturday programs.  Cumberland’s extended pari-mutuel meeting races each weekend through July 23.

Condition sheets for next week can be found on the US Trotting’s Online Entry System: http://horsemen.ustrotting.com/conditions/index.cfm

The draw for next week is as follows:

Race Friday (May 6), post time 4 pm, Draw date Tuesday (May 3), box closes 9 am; Race Saturday (May 7), post time 4 pm, Draw date Wednesday (May 4), box closes 9 am.