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

CUMBERLAND, ME – The Pine Tree State’s best trotters just got a pay increase this week, as the ‘winners over’ class of over-achievers will go for $7,000 this Friday (May 10) at Cumberland. 

New arrival Kilauea leads a group of Maine’s fastest diagonally gaited set to go postward for the salary bump as race 9 on the afternoon’s 12 race-card.

Fresh off a 1:56.4 victory at Ohio’s Miami Valley, the 6-year-old son of Kadabra has moved to the barn of Chris Hitchcock and looks for his third win of the season for his new connections.

Named for an active volcano on the Island of Hawaii [pronounced kee-lou-ey-ah], Kilauea has been installed as the early 2-1 morning line favorite with Bruce Ranger down to drive from post 4.

The second choice from post 6 is Armagedon Seelster (5-2, Kevin Switzer Jr.) who is leading seasonal money winner with $22,780 on his card.

Earlier in the day, one of Maine’s favorite daughter’s, Pickmepickme, has come home to roost.

The now 4-year-old multiple stakes winner by Western Maverick has drawn pylon position in race 2, and gets the return services of Walter Case Jr. for trainer Mark Tardif.  With lifetime earnings of $160,546, she is listed at 5-2, just behind Humor Me (2-1, Aaron Hall), an older mare with $180,613 in her career bankroll.

Looking ahead to Saturday’s (May 11) card, the opener features week five of the Maine Amateur Driving Club (MADC) with six part-time reinsmen vying for bragging rights.  The early favorite is Rest Assured (David Zuckerman) listed at 2-1 from the eurorail.  Last week’s winner Furious Beach (Mike Girouard) has been assigned post 6 and is pegged at 4-1.  Fan favorite Putnam’s Storm (Bob Nadeau) scores from post 2.

As always, the $5,000 MADC is sponsored by the Blue Seal Feed Stores of North Yarmouth and Windham, Maine.

The featured $6,000 pacing event is programmed as race 8 and carries six of the state’s faster sidesteppers, including the return of Gordon Corey’s Call Me Maverick.

Next week, horse racing enthusiasts can watch and wager on 149^th Preakness Stakes from Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland.  Considered the “middle jewel” of the Thoroughbred Triple Crown, the race is known as the ‘Run for the Black-Eyed Susans’ with Cumberland hosting the full-card simulcast on Saturday, May 18. 

First Tracks Cumberland Spring/Summer meet continues 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.  Post time is always 3:15 pm.

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

May 5, 2024, by Chris Tully, for First Tracks Cumberland (Joe Shaw photo)

CUMBERLAND, ME – Just before the college band played the iconic song My Old Kentucky Home at Churchill Downs Saturday (May 4), So Rock N’ Roll played a familiar tune of his own:  winning another race at First Tracks Cumberland.

Sent off as the 3-5 favorite, perennial leading driver Bruce Ranger was content to let a bevy of anxious pacers leave swiftly from the start in the $6,000 featured pacing contest.  Ranaldi (Drew Campbell) set a scorching 28.4 bee-line for the quarter pole from post 4, with Lexus Witha View A (Nick Graffam) grabbing the 2-hole.  Bet On Joe (Kevin Switzer Jr.) was a bit more relaxed in third position with Ranger ducking So Rock N’ Roll back down to the pylons in fourth.

While Drew Campbell thought he could give Ranaldi a 59.1 (30.2) half-mile breather, that slower pace prompted Ranger to pull first over and offer his melody to the leader.  Because every action causes a reaction, Graffam popped the two-hole with Lexus Witha View A who jumped up and looked Ranaldi right in the eye at the 1:27.2 third panel.

Even though So Rock N’ Roll enjoyed some brief cover down the backside, Ranger pulled three-wide on the outside around the final turn and was gaining momentum with every stride.  As the field turned for home the favorite increased his tempo and danced away from the rest of the band in 1:57, prevailing by 1-1/2 lengths.

Trained by Larry Dancer for owner-breeder Leighton Property, the 4-year-old son of Western Maverick picked up his third win of the season in just 6 starts.  He paid $3.40 to win and pushed his lifetime bankroll to $265,791.

PBR Street Gang (Aaron Hall) charged home to be second; Bet On Joe finished third.

Michael Girouard won the $5,000 Maine Amateur Driving Club (MADC) event with his own Furious Beach in 2:01.3.  Scoring from post 6, he was parked the last half, and boldly paced three-wide down the backside to catch pacesetting favorite Premier Joy A (McKenzie Sowers) and win by 2-1/2 lengths.  He paid $9.20 to win.

The MADC is sponsored by the Blue Seal Feed Stores of North Yarmouth and Windham, Maine.

Bruce Ranger and Kevin Switzer Jr. both enjoyed driving doubles, and trainer Larry Dancer also picked up a pair of victories.

Racing resumes at the Southern Maine harness racing facility on Friday (May 10) with a 3:15 pm post time.

First Tracks Cumberland Spring/Summer meet continues 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/

May 4, 2024, by Chris Tully, for First Tracks Cumberland

CUMBERLAND, ME – Power Mitt paid no attention to the tote board as the 8-1 longshot upset Maine’s top trotters to capture the $6,000 feature at Cumberland on Friday (May 3).

When the wings folded several of those from the upper echelon set scurried out for chance at the lead.  When the dust settled J S Peyton (Drew Campbell) made the top, with Warrawee Preferred (Walter Case Jr.) protecting his inside position and forcing 8-5 favorite Knight Angel (Aaron Hall) into third.

As the field approached the 29.1 opening panel, the leader’s stablemate Elegant Dulupin FR (Dan Deslandes) ranged up on the outside to take command.  The seven combatants remained in perfect alignment passing the stands for the first time and through a 59.2 half-mile marker.

At the five-eighths pole track announcer Mike Cushing exclaimed, “now Knight Angel has thrown his hat into the ring as he steps into the outer flow.”  Kevin Switzer Jr. and Power Mitt used that live cover to come second over from fifth as the pack tightened up dramatically as they passed the paddock draw gate.

Just past the 1:30.3 third panel Knight Angel had moved up to the lead and had nearly passed Elegant Dulupin FR, with Power Mitt now three-wide and rolling through the final turn.  With Knight Angel unable to get by Elegant Dulupin FR and Power Mitt steamrolling down the center of the track, the troika battled wheel-to-wheel down the stretch.

With all of the screaming and shouting of a heavy weight title bout, Power Mitt prevailed in the final steps to win by a measured length in 2:01.  Motto (Bruce Ranger) came flying on the far outside to get up for second.  Knight Angel finished third.

Trained by Bob Marston for owner Dana Goding, the 5-year-old son of Explosive Matter paid $18.40 to win back-to-back starts.

Driver Andy Harrington picked up three wins on the card, all from the stable of his wife Sara Harrington.  Larry Dancer also enjoyed a training triple.  Aaron Hall, Bruce Ranger and Kevin Switzer Jr. all grabbed driving doubles.

Harness racing resumes on Saturday (May 4) at First Tracks Cumberland (post time 3:15 pm) where fans and bettors can also watch and wager on all the action from Churchill Downs, including Saturday’s 150^th Run for the Roses.  Doors open at 12 noon on Derby Day for the full-card simulcast of horse racing’s biggest day, with a host of food and beverage options available all day at the iconic Cumberland Fairgrounds. 

First Tracks Cumberland Spring/Summer meet continues 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/

May 2, 2024, by Chris Tully, for First Tracks Cumberland (Joe Shaw photo)

CUMBERLAND, ME – Maine’s top trotters will go postward just after the famed Kentucky Oaks winning filly dons her blanket of roses on Friday (May 3) at Cumberland.  The afternoon card features 11 races, with the $6,000 featured trot slated as race 9 with Knight Angel (3-1) listed as the early morning line favorite, and runs in concert with racing from Louisville, Kentucky.

Owned, trained and driven by Aaron Hall, the 8-year-old son of Archangel landed in New England from the Team Miller – Orange Crush Stable in December of last year.  He won his first qualifier in the Pine Tree State and then a leg of the Jack Frost series in 2:00.4.

With just two starts under his belt this season, Knight Angel finished second against this group last week, race timed in 1:58.3.  He scores from slot 4, Cumberland’s winningest (23.2%) post position.

Hall likes his horse and is happy with how he has come back from his break.

“He is in with a tough group.  He will have to be even better this week to have a shot,” noted the prominent Maine horseman.

Looking to upset the apple cart is J S Peyton (7-2), who sports two wins in his last three starts, and is the close second choice, scoring from post 5. 

Trained by Jeff Deslandes, he will be driven by North America’s leading UDRS (<300 starts, 0.436) driver Dan Deslandes.  In fact, on April 30 his driving stats were an even more impressive 0.475 in that same category.  So far this season the Deslandes clan has dominated the leader board at First Tracks Cumberland with 15 training wins and 16 driving victories.

Not to be overlooked from pylon position is Power Mitt (4-1) who won handily last week in 1:58.3 against a softer bunch.  Trained by Bob Marston, he gets the return services of last season’s leading driver Kevin Switzer Jr.

With horse racing’s Kentucky Derby taking center stage in the national spotlight this weekend, Cumberland Raceway offers live harness racing on both Friday (May 3) and Saturday (May 4), along with coverage of two of the biggest days on the Thoroughbred Triple Crown calendar.

Fans and bettors can watch and wager on all the action from Churchill Downs, including Saturday’s 150^th Run for the Roses.  Doors open at 12 noon on Saturday for the full-card simulcast of horse racing’s biggest day, with a host of food and beverage options available all day at the iconic Cumberland Fairgrounds. 

In addition, fans and patrons may also watch and wager on Friday’s Kentucky Oaks card from Churchill Downs, while the harness racing action opens the horse-centric weekend on Friday (May 3).  First post is at 3:15 pm.   Both Harness and Thoroughbred programs will be available.

First Tracks Cumberland Spring/Summer meet continues 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/

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