April 26, 2025, by Chris Tully, for First Tracks Cumberland
CUMBERLAND, ME – Empereurthebest FR ruled the featured $5,500 conditioned trot on Friday (April 25) at Cumberland Raceway, and is now two-for-two on the season.
Scoring from post seven, ‘Casey’ was content to allow his French-bred steed settle in the fourth position as Jax Spratt (1-1, Aaron Hall) assumed the early command. Empereurthebest FR pulled going past he paddock the first time and blasted up to the front just past the :29.1 opening panel.
Following the softer :59.3 half-mile marker Drew Campbell tipped Rose Run Yakim (7-2) from fourth to move up first over around the third turn. Jax Spratt was sitting pretty in the catbird seat, with Inquiring Mind (16-1, Steve Wilson) on the cones fourth. He was joined by Gemstone Pillar (15-1, McGwire Sowers) gapping second over through the 1:29.3 third stanza
Although the challengers tried valiantly, down the stretch there was no catching Empereurthebest FR, as the 11-year-old son of Un Amour D’haufor coasted home in 2:00 by a length and a quarter.
Driven by Walter Case Jr. for owner Stanley Bubier Jr. and trainer James Dunn, it was his second consecutive victory of the year. He paid $6.40 to win.
Inquiring Mind finished second; Rose Run Yakim was third.
McGwire Sowers won four races on the program, three of which were trained by Autym Robinson. Nick Graffam and Drew Campbell each piloted a pair of winners..
Racing resumes at Cumberland for Saturday’s (April 26) card, which carries nine races and kicks off with the season’s third Maine Amateur Driving Club event. The race is sponsored by the Blue Seal Feed stores of North Falmouth and Windham, Maine.
The swifter sidesteppers meet in the $5,500 seventh race conditioned pace. Zack Vickerson sends Heavensway A (9-5, Switzer Jr.) who comes off a wire to wire romp in the slop last week.
Exotic wagers start with Cumberland’s Pick 5 in the third race (with a carryover), and continues with our Pick 4 and Pick 3 toward the tail end of the program, and concludes with our High-Five Pentafecta in the final race—all with low 16% takeouts.
Fans can catch all the live action on-line by selecting the video player tab on our website:
Looking ahead to next Saturday, bettors and fans of Thoroughbred racing will be able to watch and wager on the entire Kentucky Derby card from Churchill Downs, right in the Cumberland grandstand.
First Track’s Cumberland Spring/Summer meet will continue throughout the Spring and early Summer months with regular racing on Friday and Saturday each weekend. First post is slated for 3:15 pm (EDT) during the extended pari-mutuel meeting, which runs through August 2.
