November 15, 2024 – by Chris Tully, for First Tracks Cumberland
(Joe Shaw photo)
CUMBERLAND, ME – According to a 17th century nursery rhyme, ‘Jack Sprat could eat no fat.’ Despite its antiquity, that 400-year-old adage may still apply to Standardbred Jax Spratt, who is looking for his fifth consecutive victory at First Tracks Cumberland on Saturday (Nov. 16).
Jax Spratt has enjoyed a banner season winning 12 of 25 starts while doubling his win total from the previous year. Yet, owner Bill ‘Yarmouth Lumber’ Phipps claims his 4-year-old son of Devious Man is a lean, trotting machine.
“He’s a nice little horse and always stays trotting,” Phipps noted. “All the credit goes to his trainer Aaron Hall and caretaker Jason Bertolini. They have done a fabulous job handling him.”
The gregarious proprietor of a Maine-based trucking company, Phipps has owned hundreds of race horses with many different trainers. But he was quick to point out that Hall doesn’t just race his horses, ‘he manages them.’
“My horses don’t have to win for me to be happy. I just want them to race good and stay healthy. Aaron [Hall] has a great work ethic, and he and his team keep their horses sound and happy,” Phipps stated. “I am just the guy with my name on the registration.”
Purchased as a yearling by Phipps, the New York bred gelding has a mark of 1:56.3 taken at Plainridge this year, and total lifetime earnings of $105,465.
While modest, Phipps has a lot to be happy about as Jax Spratt has earned $38,261 this season, racing primarily in Maine. This week he scores from post six and has been installed as the 9-5 second choice in the $5,500 featured conditioned trot, carded as race eight on the 13-race card.
Now with Cumberland the only track currently racing in the state, the entire program has a lot of action for horse players with eight of 13 events boasting full seven or eight horse fields. The Pick 5 starts with the third race; our Pick 4 highlights the tenth, and our High-Five Pentafecta in the final race—all with low 16% takeouts.
The action continues on Sunday (Nov. 17) with another 13-race card of full fields.
First Tracks Cumberland’s Winter Festival extended pari-mutuel meeting enjoys weekend action throughout the month of November. Then, Cumberland Raceway will transition to three days of harness racing each week (Fri-Sat-Sun) beginning December 6. The 19-day meet continues through Dec. 22, 2024, and post time is always 10:55 am. Our popular Au Revoir Retirement Ceremonies are slated for Saturday, Dec. 21.
For more information go to our website: firsttrackscumberland.com, or find us on Facebook: @FirstTracksCumberland
