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 13th 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) 3rd 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/
