May 17, 2025, by Chris Tully, for First Tracks Cumberland
(Joe Shaw photos)
CUMBERLAND, ME – Gowestyounggrace, last season’s Maine Sire Stakes champion sophomore pacing filly, returned to her winning ways at Cumberland Raceway on Friday (May 16), showing her fans and connections that she still loves to race.
When the wings folded under sunny skies there was a mad dash for the top between Cash Crazy Express (4-1, Drew Campbell) and Oceanview Echo (15-1, Bruce Ranger), who ultimately took command in a swift :28 seconds flat.
With the $5,000 Fillies and Mares conditioned pacers stretched out considerably down the backside the outer flow was forced to develop going into a softer :58.1 half mile marker. Miss Trixtster (3-1, Nick Graffam) was the first in line, followed by Maggie At Bat (2-1, Aaron Hall) and Gowestyounggrace (8-5, Dave Ingraham) in fifth, and third over, back 5-3/4 lengths.
Down the backstretch for the final time the field was stacked up into a fast 1:26.4 third stanza, with Gowestyounggrace poised to pounce three deep. With a sling shot move off the final turn, and gaining ground with every stride, Ingraham had the 4-year-old daughter of Western Maverick blazing a path to the wire down the center of the racetrack.
Gowestyounggrace caught the new leaders and prevailed by three parts of a length in 1:57.2. Owned, trained and bred by Sharon Ward (with Fred Ward Jr.), it was the mare’s first win of the season, in just her second outing. She paid $5.40 to win, and now has $210,104 in career earnings with 18 victories.
Maggie At Bat finished second; Miss Trixster was third.
The featured $5,500 conditioned trot was captured by Big Al M in 2:00.2 for owner, trainer, driver Zach Vickerson, in a grinding first over trip. Parked the entire last half, it was his second win in his last three starts, paying just $2.80 as the heavy favorite. The 7-year-old son of Anders Bluestone now has 24 lifetime wins with $479,415 in earnings.
McStoned Again (5-2, McGwire Sowers) finished second; J S Peyton (7-1,Ranger) who cut the mile, hung on for third.
There was a ‘triple double’ on the afternoon program, with driver Nick Graffam winning two races for trainer Jamie Gerard; McGwire Sowers grabbed a pair harnessed by Autym Robinson; and Dave Ingraham also won the opener with Kelly Case’s Mr Apples 3-year-old Greysons Pacin.
Racing continues on Saturday (May 17) at 3:15 pm and includes several exotic wagers. Cumberland’s Pick 5 begins with the third race, 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.
Saturday’s (May 17) card also carries 11 events, and every race has a full eight horse field. The opener hosts the Maine Amateur Driving Club (MADC) event, and the $4,000 purse attracted some new participants. The favorite, Hoosier Shark (2-1, Todd Whitney) scores from pylon position and should be tough from that spot. The MADC is sponsored by the Blue Seal Feed stores of North Falmouth and Windham, Maine.
The state’s better pacers meet in the $5,500 eighth race conditioned pace. Last week’s winner and former Maine champion Two Fold Cold (2-1, Dave Ingraham) will be the one to beat in this battle of the big guns. Another former Maine standout, Call Me Maverick (7-1, Mike Stevenson) takes his seasonal bow for trainer Alison Hynes of the Gordon Corey Institute of Equine Erudition.
Wagering on the Preakness Stakes, the second jewel of the Thoroughbred Triple Crown, will be available at Cumberland on Saturday. Doors open at 12 noon for the simulcast from Pimlico in Baltimore, MD. Printed programs are also available for the flats track races.
Looking ahead, First Tracks Cumberland will be offering horsemen several lucrative late closing series to choose from, most with $12,500 finals, throughout the month of June. More information can be found on our website, firsttrackscumberland.com.
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.
