August 4, 2024, by Chris Tully, for First Tracks Cumberland (Joe Shaw photo)
CUMBERLAND, ME – On Cumberland Raceway’s richest day of the summer meet Ron Cushing’s Ever Hoping A set a track record in the $25,000 Pine Tree Invitational on Saturday (Aug. 3), which was also the loftiest purse of the year at the iconic Southern Maine oval.
Scoring from post four, driver and co-owner Ron Cushing let several of the anxious speedsters blast out to the front. First to the point was 16-1 longshot Skyway Victor and Drew Campbell. Around the turn Hespoisedtopounce (Andy Harrington) jumped into the two-hole in front of 4-5 wagering favorite Heinikin Bythebay and leading reinsman Kevin Switzer Jr.
Switzer wasted no time down the backstretch before moving to the rim and ultimately taking command into a swift 27 second opening panel. As the field of top pacers moved toward the half, Ever Hoping A flushed the cover of The Wild Card (5-2, Nick Graffam) as the tightly bunched group moved toward the softer 56.3 half mile marker.
Pacing down the backstretch for the final time Graffam urged The Wild Card while Switzer kept Heinikin Bythebay rolling on the lead. With time running out Cushing pulled Ever Hoping A three-wide on the backside into a fast 1:24.3 third stanza as the rest of the talented group is stacked up behind him.
With the slingshot momentum in his favor Cushing urged his horse through the lane to prevail by half a length in 1:53.4, resulting in a track record for an aged pacing gelding and equaled the all-age track record at Cumberland.
Driven and co-owned by Ron Cushing with partners Stephen Downey, Ronald ‘Steve’ Ralph and Romanelli Racing, the 6-year-old Australian-bred son of Always B Miki picked up his 17th lifetime victory. He paid $10.80 to win for listed trainer Carlos Rodriguez.
Heinikin Bythebay finished second; Skyway Victor was third.
In other signature events, trainer Alison Hynes sent the Walter Case Jr.-driven Lifes A Puzzle out to a 1:55 triumph in the $12,500 Frank M. Dubeuil Jr. Memorial.
At the start an early tussle between JK Objection (Heath Campbell) and the other Alison Hynes-trained entrant and 7-5 favorite Call Me Maverick (John Beckwith) resulted in a blistering 26.4 opening panel.
With his stable mate cutting the fractions Case flushed the cover of Rocksapatriot (Dave Ingraham) while heading into the 56.2 half.
While gapping out his cover going down the backstretch Walter Case Jr. was forced three wide around the second-over Bet On Joe (Switzer), past the 1:25 third quarter pole, and through the final turn to swoop the leaders and triumph by a tight length.
Owned by Richard Humphrey with special recognition to the Gordon Corey Institute of Equine Erudition, the 4-year-old son of Lazarus N picked up his 9th lifetime win. Scoring from post seven, he paid $13.80 to win.
The victory marked the triumphant return of Walter Case Jr. who was sidelined for the last two weeks by a racing mishap. Proclaimed as our local ‘Rocky Balboa’ by track announcer Scott Ehrlich, the 63-year-old reinsman had two wins on the card and finished third in the seasonal driver’s standings behind leader Kevin Switzer Jr. (67) and Drew Campbell (42) who overtook second place with five wins on the final day’s program.
Campbell’s five victories included: Luke McGook (1:54.3, $4.00), Rose Run Slider (1:57.1, $14.80), Silk Road Smash (1:55.2, $3.80), Little Macabee (1:59.1, $45.20) winning the $12,500 Winners Over Trot, and the finale with Polyester (1:56.3, $6.60).
Trainer Marc Tardif, whose powerful Maine Sire Stakes stable concentrates on young horses, finished the meet in first place with 27 victories, with his three afternoon’s victories vaulting him in front of Bob Marston who finished second in the standings with 25 wins. Early leader Jeff Deslandes was third with 24 trips to the winners circle.
Track record holder Ry’s Red Rocket and Bruce Ranger took the $12,500 Fillies and Mares Winners Over Pace in 1:55.2. Owned and trained by Don Richards, the 7-year-old daughter of Sunshine Beach was bred by Linwood Higgins and picked up her 28th career victory, paying $3.40 to win.
Former national amateur driving champion Todd ‘Too Tough’ Whitney who finished third in the Hambletonian Amateur Drivers Trot at the Meadowlands on Friday night (Aug. 2) was back in Maine the next day to compete in the $8,000 Maine Amateur Driving Club (MADC) final. He went wire-to-wire with Vel Miss Taylor from post three to score by 6-3/4 lengths in 1:59. Trained by Chris Lefebvre for owner Mo Coo Inc., the 4-year-old daughter of Ponder grabbed her 13th lifetime win. They paid $11.60 to win.
MADC points leader Hunter Lofthus finished second with his own Forrest Blu; Jonathan Bresnahan was third with Fly Away BB. The MADC is sponsored by the Blue Seal Feed Stores of North Yarmouth and Windham, Maine.
Harness racing action resumes during the annual Cumberland Fair for a week of live action beginning September 22 and continuing through Sept. 29. The track’s 19-day Winter Festival begins November 2 and races through December 22 and will include the popular Au Revoir Retirement Ceremonies.
For additional information, visit our website at firsttrackscumberland.com, or find us on social media at https://www.facebook.com/FirstTracksCumberland/
