August 4, 2023, by Chris Tully, for First Tracks Cumberland (Stephanie Gray photos)
CUMBERLAND, ME – Drew Campbell had the hot hands at Cumberland on Friday (Aug. 4), winning four races on the penultimate day of the Summer meet at the iconic Southern Maine racetrack.
Driving Valyrian Steel in the opener, Campbell started the day out strong finishing a close second to Caulfield and Walter Case Jr. who won the $8,000 Portland Breakwater Series Consolation Trot in 2:01.2. Caulfield, a dead-heat track record holder, is now trained by Bob Marston and owned by George Tzikas. He paid $7.60 to win; Power Mitt (Mike Stevenson) finished third.
Campbell started his grand slam afternoon by winning the $5,000 third race conditioned trot with Little Macabee. Trained by Eric Bickmore and owned by Maryann Tompkins, the 9-year-old son of Chapter Seven paid $3.00 to win by a neck over Storm Bringer (Aaron Hall) in 2:00.4. Parked the last half in 59.1, it was the 35th win of his career and helped push his lifetime earnings to $213,333.
His next trip to the Blue Seal Winners Circle arrived in race nine, the $8,000 Portland Head Light Series Consolation Pace where the maritime native got up in the final strides with Riproy to score by half a length in 1:58.3. It was just the third seasonal victory for the 9-year-old son of Mach Three, who is trained by Benson Merrill and owned by his wife Lauren Merrill. He paid $6.20 to win. Another Merrill-trained pupil, Ultimate Flyer N (Garrett Mosher) finished second; Jaxson R Browne (Aaron Hall) was third.
The flyin’ orange colors came right back to take the next race with Captain Nash, a $5,000 conditioned pace in 1:57.3. Campbell drove the $8.60 winner for trainer Richard Bartlett and owner Reginald Duguay. Favorite Twin B Impressive (Bruce Ranger) finished second; Thinking Of Slim (Aaron Hall) was third.
Drew Campbell’s fourth and final score came in the twelfth race in the form of a dead heat with Fomor for trainer Bob Martson, who shared the $6,000 winner’s share with co-winner Broadway Giant (Bruce Ranger). Fomor paid $12.40 to win with Broadway Giant paying $9.00. The final time was 2:02.2.
Racing resumes Saturday (August 5) for the final day of the Summer meet, with a special 2:15 early post time. The action-packed program is headlined by the $25,000 Pine Tree Invitational, which when coupled with nine $10,000 Pop-Ups series finals or other events, makes it the richest overnight race card in the history of First Tracks Cumberland. The total non-stakes purses equal $115,000, which is the most ever for an overnight card. Add in four Maine Sire Stakes events and the total purses for the day exceed $175,000.
Closing day of the Spring-Summer meet on Saturday (Aug. 5) also carries seven additional $10,000 ‘overnight’ races (pop-up series events) as well as the $10,000 Maine Amateur Driving Club (MADC) Spring-Summer Final, sponsored by Blue Seal Feeds.
Import wagering from both the Saratoga Race Course (flats) and the entire Hambletonian Day card from the Meadowlands will be available on Aug. 5.
Fans that purchase a race program will receive a Hambo hat, compliments of First Tracks Cumberland. In addition, our popular Cumberland Derby returns and gives patrons who enter the contest a chance to win a total of $500 in cash.
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For more information, check out our website: https://firsttrackscumberland.com/
