December 20, 2024 – by Chris Tully, for First Tracks Cumberland
(Joe Shaw photo)

CUMBERLAND, ME – On the final weekend of the meet, Drew Campbell continued his reign of terror, winning three races at Cumberland on Friday (Dec. 20), including the $5,500 feature with Cash Crazy Express.

Known by his peers for his propensity to ‘send ‘em,’ Campbell did just that with the Mark Harris-trained pacing mare, making every call a winning one.  Setting a fast tempo of :28, :59.2 and 1:28.1 to the third panel, the 8-year-old daughter of Art Major had Shes A Sassy Beach (McGwire Sowers) applying pressure every step of the way.

Turning for home track announcer Mike Cushing exclaimed ‘Shes A Sassy Beach has gone a mile and an eighth’ yet was unrelenting in her pursuit of the pacesetter.  When the wire finally arrived, so did several other would be spoilers, as six of the seven upper echelon pacing mares were spread out across the track at the finish.

Cash Crazy Express prevailed by three parts of a length in 1:59.  Owned by Kathryn Duran, she paid $15.60 to win her tenth race of the season and increased her lifetime bankroll to $192,622.

Cantstopthelovin (Dave Ingraham) finished second; Shes A Sassy Beach hung on for third.

Drew Campbell, the year’s leading reinsman at Cumberland, also scored with Skyway Ballet (2:00.3, $8.00) and Benny Is A Jet (1:59, $6.20).  The 57-year-old Nova Scotia native now has 92 wins this year at Cumberland, with and impressive 50 scores in just the last eight weeks.

Driver Nick Graffam also enjoyed a hat trick on the program, winning with Time For George (1:58, $7.60); the Mike Graffam-trained Spicey P (1:59, $2.60) and Bettor Cat (1:59.3, $7.60).

Trainer Chris DuBois harnessed a pair of winners, the aforementioned Time For George and Benny Is A Jet.

Racing resumes on Saturday (Dec. 21), which is a big day in the Maine harness racing industry as twelve 14-year-old Standardbreds will parade in front of the stands, recognized by the announcer, while being feted and photographed in the winners circle with gifts and prizes.  The Au Revoir Retirement Showcase includes a special $6,000 Auld Lang Syne Race, exclusively for 14-year-old pacers in the 10:55 a.m. opener, led by World Champion Lucan Hanover.

Sunday’s (Dec. 22) final card of the year features two $12,500 pop up finals, as well as five races with purses of $10,000 each.  There is also the $8,000 Maine Amateur Driving Club final in race eight.

As always, the Pick 5 starts with the third race, 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.

Following this closing weekend, harness racing at the Southern Maine’s iconic oval will reconvene in April 2025.

For more information go to our website: firsttrackscumberland.com, or find us on Facebook: @FirstTracksCumberland

December 20, 2024 – by Jay Burns, for New England Chapter USHWA

AUBURN, ME – The New England Chapter of the United States Harness Writers Association is proud to announce the 2024 inductees to the New England Harness Writers Hall of Fame. 

The esteemed group includes Walter Case Jr. and Kevin Switzer Sr., as well as posthumous honorees Mike Andrew and Bill Varney.  The four individuals will be formally recognized at the Maine Harness Horsemen’s Association annual banquet on December 28 in Auburn, ME.

Michael Andrew (1938–2022)

Michael Andrew was a man of extraordinary talents and contributions across education, agriculture, and harness racing. Born in Gorham, Maine, he grew up on the family farm where he could hear, and was called to racing by, the race calls at nearby Gorham Raceway.

Andrew’s love for harness racing was evident in his work as a breeder and owner, where he built a stable of Maine Sire Stakes champions, focused on trotters. With a keen knowledge of Standardbred breeding and bloodlines, he was often consulted for his expertise, including for the U.S. Trotting Association and Hoof Beats for the educational series “Breeding Basics.”

Andrew’s horses, many initially trained and developed by Gordon Corey, have competed and excelled at the highest levels, including million-dollar winner Likeabatoutahell, a winner of the Joseph Ricci Memorial at Scarborough Downs in 2008; Obrigado, a world champion who was named a Dan Patch Award winner as the best older male trotter of 2016 by the U.S. Harness Writers Association; and Rebuff, a Breeders Crown and Kentucky Futurity winner.

From 2000 to 2023, Andrew was the breeder of 159 standardbreds that raced successfully across North America. He owned the successful Maine trotting stallion Boy Band, identifying the horse as a promising sire and purchasing him in Lexington, Ky., in 2001 for $145,000 despite the trotter having failed to race with no earnings in three starts. Andrew also served as president of the Maine Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association and was a commissioner on the Maine State Harness Racing Commission.

Andrew held degrees from Cornell University and a Ph.D. from Harvard University, and he served for 43 years at the University of New Hampshire, where he was named Distinguished Professor and developed an innovative five-year teaching internship program.

Beyond racing, Andrew was a skilled blacksmith, an award-winning Hampshire sheep breeder, and founder of the Downeast Polo Club. Known for his love of art, poetry, and music, he balanced elegance and humility, moving seamlessly between formal events and farm work. His profound influence spanned education, where he mentored countless professionals, and harness racing, where his vision and expertise elevated Maine’s profile in the sport.

Andrew’s legacy is defined by his character, accomplishments, and dedication to family, friends, and his community. He will be remembered as an exceptional breeder, educator, and family man, leaving a profound impact across his many worlds.

Walter Case Jr.

When driver Walter Case Jr. and pacer Hotrod Falcon rocketed past the quarter pole in 26.3 during a New England–record mile at Scarborough Downs in 1993, track announcer Lloyd Johnson called out, “You’ve never seen it here before!”

”You’ve never seen it” captures the unique place that Walter Case has achieved in harness racing. With more than 11,490 career wins, he ranks 12th all-time with an astonishing career UDR of .364.

Born and raised in Lewiston, Case once said that as soon as he sat behind a horse at the age of 10, “it was what I wanted to do. Other kids were playing baseball and basketball, I wanted to be out on the racetrack sitting behind a racehorse. I just thought that was the ultimate thing.” He began driving in 1977, winning no races in 16 starts. The next year he won 16, then 113, and 192 in the next, his UDR jumping from .236 to .329.

A true phenom, he was the youngest driver to hit most driving milestones, including the youngest, at age 30, to win 5,000 races, in 1992.

As Case quickly achieved driving success, he advanced from Maine to New York and to New Jersey’s Garden State Park and the Meadowlands, and then Chicago. He drove many top horses of his time including Cambest, Gallo Blue Chip, and Anniecrombie, driving the great mare to a mile of 1:55.4 at Sportsman’s Park in 1987, at the time the fastest mile by a filly or mare over a five-eighths track in racing history. In 1993, he drove Captain Pantastic to a huge upset ($182 to win) over Little Brown Jug winner Life Sign at Freehold Raceway in the James B. Dancer Memorial.

Earning multiple Harness Tracks of American Driver of the Year honors, Case made history in 1998 by becoming the first driver to achieve 1,000 wins in a single year, setting a record with 1,077 wins with a gaudy UDR of .506. That year, Case won an astonishing 36 percent of the time while hitting the board at a 67 percent clip. In 2000 at Northfield Park, he became the first driver to win 10 races (out of 13), and was the leading driver nationally in 2002.

“His mind and hands can measure the courage and speed of a horse and extract the right combination of both to finish a nose ahead of the pack at the end of a mile,” wrote Anthony Aliberti in the Lewiston Journal in 1984, the year Case received the Peter Haughton Award as the best young driver in the sport. Case was always a consummate scholar of racing, seeking an edge by studying the program and reviewing replays to learn about all the horses in a race.

Case’s capacity to coax speed from horses was so remarkable that his 1:52.4 Scarborough Downs track-record performance with Hotrod Falcon in 1993 endured for a quarter century.

Kevin Switzer Sr.

In the late summer of 1984, an unheralded young horseman named Kevin Switzer arrived in Maine from Jamesburg, N.J., with two cheap horses, Pine Jet and Just For Practice. Having grown up on a thoroughbred farm, Switzer had worked in home construction. But he longed to get back in the racing business, and trekking to Maine put Switzer on the path to success.

From auspicious and humble beginnings, Switzer seized opportunities along the way to develop into a consummate harness racing professional, excelling in all facets of the sport: as a driver, a trainer who excels with both colts and older horses, and a breeder.

His first big splash was in 1989, making the most of a catch drive in a leg of the North American Pacing Series at Lewiston Raceway when driver Jack Moiseyev was unable to drive. Switzer sent the longshot Out To Score to the lead, scoring the win in a startling time of 1:55.1 — a state record. “I wanted that record,” he said afterward. “I was rocking, hollering, and screaming in the lane to keep him alive.”

Then there was his success with the notorious My Bill Troy, an unruly Maine colt by the great My Bill Forwood that other trainers refused to work with. Seizing the opportunity, Switzer used patience and DIY creativity, including a specially designed race bike to protect him from the colt’s kicks, to create a blazing fast competitor. Cementing Switzer’s training reputation, My Bill Troy won eight of 10 races as a two-year-old in 1990 and was undefeated (16 for 16) as a 3-year-old in 1991.

A perennial leading trainer in Maine in the 1990s, capturing Trainer of the Year honors at Scarborough Downs, he established in 2000 KDK Standardbreds, an initialism that stands for Kevin, Denise (McNitt, his wife, who is a veterinarian), and his son Kevin Jr. Since then, the success of the owner-trainer-breeder operation has been wide-reaching, with horses competing and thriving in Maine, at Plainridge Park, and throughout the Northeast. In 2010, the open mare Shady Sabrina paced the Scarborough oval in 1:53.1, still among the top 25 fastest miles paced in Maine.

KDK Standardbreds has produced many talented homebreds. Perhaps the best was Apple Bottom Jeans, a top stakes filly in Delaware who became a top open mare along the East Coast with earnings of over $1 million, a mark of 1:50.1, and 32 wins from 104 starts from 2015 to 2020. Success has continued into today: As recently as November, KDK Standardbreds’ homebred Heinikin Bythebay captured the open pace at Plainridge, and now has 31 career wins from just 79 starts and lifetime earnings of nearly $600,000.

In his career, Switzer has 1,261 training wins from 5,494 starts, for a UTR of .353 and $7.4 million in earnings. Now retired as a driver, he won 3,446 races from 21,431 starts for a UDR of .268 and earnings of $9.2 million.

The secret of his success? “I just love horses,” he once said.

Bill Varney (1941–2024)

William “Bill” Varney was a lifelong advocate for harness racing and an accomplished Standardbred breeder who left an indelible mark on the sport.

As a little boy growing up during World War II, he lived with his grandparents in Pembroke, Maine, while his father was in the U.S. Navy. After chores were done at his grandparents’ general store and feed business, Varney and his grandfather, Leavitt Hatch, headed to the local harness track in West Pembroke to work with Hatch’s stable. Thus began Varney’s deep love for harness racing and a deep respect for the sport’s family roots in Maine.

Varney became one of the most prominent breeders in the industry with a substantial operation based at his Bangor farm that has produced more than 100 Standardbreds under the “Pembroke” name. Developed by the driving and training team of Heath Campbell and Valerie Grondin, Varney’s Pembroke horses have been dominant performers in the Maine Sire Stakes year after year and gone on to become backbone overnight performers in Maine and across North America. Three times, Varney’s horses won the prestigious Joseph Ricci Memorial Invitational at Scarborough Downs, twice with Star’s Photo and a third time with his homebred Pembroke Prayer, whose 1:57.3 win equaled the all-age track record at Scarborough Downs.

Beyond breeding, Varney played an influential role in the governance and promotion of harness racing. As a commissioner on the Maine State Harness Racing Commission, he worked tirelessly to enhance the industry in Maine, advocating for better support for breeders and trainers. His commitment to the sport extended to ensuring the humane treatment of retired racehorses. Varney’s passion for harness racing was matched by his generosity, as he supported countless stakeholders in the industry, helping them achieve success and sustain the legacy of the sport.

Outside of harness racing, Varney was a remarkable entrepreneur with a career spanning multiple industries. “I’ve always thought of myself as a starter and motivator,” he once said. He built a diverse business portfolio that included Varney Auto Supply, a chain of auto parts stores; car dealerships; and Varney Insurance, which grew into a prominent firm with locations across Maine, New York, and New Jersey.

His ventures also included real estate development and Premium Choice Broadband, a company providing fiber internet to rural communities. Known for his work ethic, integrity, and commitment to his family, Varney exemplified the values of hard work and resilience, making a lasting impact in both his professional endeavors and the harness racing community.

December 19, 2024 – by Chris Tully, for First Tracks Cumberland

CUMBERLAND, ME – World Champion Lucan Hanover leads an all-star cast of 14-year-old pensioners as First Tracks Cumberland hosts the fourth annual Au Revoir Retirement Showcase slated for Saturday (Dec. 21) of closing weekend, which runs from Friday (Dec. 20) through Sunday (Dec. 22).  In addition, several pop up series finals sprinkled around the three-day weekend boast purses well into the five figures.

Saturday (Dec. 21) is a big day in the Maine harness racing industry as twelve 14-year-old Standardbreds will parade in front of the stands, recognized by the announcer, and feted and photographed in the winners circle with gifts and prizes.  The Au Revoir Retirement Showcase includes a special $6,000 Auld Lang Syne Race, exclusively for 14-year-old pacers.

Lucan Hanover p,3,1:48f, a world champion and winner of an elimination heat of the Little Brown Jug, will lead the post parade, in the opener.  The son of Western Ideal is now owned and trained by Aaron Hall, and has accrued $1.4 million in purse earnings.  During his storied career he was the first sub-1:49 Standardbred on a five-eighths mile track, and also won an elimination of the Breeders Crown during his sophomore campaign.

The entire day is dedicated to these special horses, with the first race marked for the soon-to-be retirees. Overall, the 12 horses have combined earnings of $4.9 million, which is an average of $414,082.  The combined start total is 3,692 with an average of 308 starts per horse.  Total combined wins for these foals of 2010 is 561, which is an average of 47 victories per horse. 

The fastest record belongs to the aforementioned Lucan Hanover, who is also the most decorated Standardbred with 74 trips to the winners circle.  Eleven pacers and two trotters will parade in front of the stands individually, with the average win time of all the honorees an equally impressive 1:51.4.

A special commemorative program has been produced and contains biographies and photos of the equine stars.  The additional eleven soon-to-be retirees are: Calvin B, Goin Manstyle, Heart Breaking, Ideal Rowan, Machtu N, R T Lange, Rockaholic, Rockin Rambaran, Scottish Blue, Ugly Stick and Urbana Bayama.

Sunday’s (Dec. 22) final card of the year features two $12,500 pop up finals, as well as five races with purses of $10,000 each.  There is also the $8,000 Maine Amateur Driving Club final in race eight.

On each of the three racing days the Pick 5 starts with the third race, 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.

Harness racing at the Southern Maine’s iconic oval will reconvene in April 2025.

For more information go to our website: firsttrackscumberland.com, or find us on Facebook: @FirstTracksCumberland

December 15, 2024 – by Chris Tully, for First Tracks Cumberland
(Joe Shaw photo)

CUMBERLAND, ME – Drew Campbell left nothing but scorched earth in his wake as the sizzling hot reinsman won six of ten races on Saturday (Dec. 14) at Cumberland Raceway.  In fact, the Nova Scotia-native has won 10 of the last 19 races held over the last two days of the penultimate weekend of Winter Festival harness racing at the iconic southern Maine oval.

Campbell wasted little time getting into the Blue Seal Feeds Winner Circle, as he took the $5,200 conditioned trot opener with Chad and Maryann Tompkins’ Valyrian Steel.  Leaving from post seven, the pair ducked into the three-hole and sat patiently until the head of the stretch where the 5-year-old son of Chapter Seven dug in to the stone dust and emerged a winner in a tight, three-way finish.  Tripping the timer in 2:00.1, Valyrian Steel paid $7.80 for the score, his second in a row and seventh of the season.

Driver Drew Campbell finished second in the next two out of three events, but then found pay dirt again in the fifth race with Benny Is A Jet.  Sitting a perfect garden seat trip, the pair sprinted home by 2-1/2 lengths in 1:59.1 to pay $3.40.  Trained by Chris DuBois for owner Robert Kluchevitz, the 7-year-old son of American Ideal also got his second consecutive victory.

Power Master got the signature ‘send ‘em’ trip from Mr. Campbell in the sixth race, leading from pillar to post in 1:58.3.  Also trained by Chris DuBois for owner Robert Kluchevitz, the 3-year-old son of Shadow Play paid $3.20 as the 3-5 favorite.

The meet’s leading pilot took the seventh race off, but came right back with another wire-to-wire performance with George Fenno’s Instant Replay in the $5,500 eighth race conditioned pace.  Blasting from the car from post six, the 4-year-old son of Lazarus N set blistering fractions of :27.1, :58.1, 1:26.2 and then closed out the mile by an impressive 7-3/4 lengths in 1:55.4.  Trained by Steve Vafiades, it was the swiftest race of the day, and he paid $3.80 for his efforts.

Sixfingerfreddie, who gave Campbell his 6,000^th career victory last week, gobbled up more race track for a repeat performance in winning the $6,000 Winners Over Pace.  Leading every step of the way, the pair tripped the timer in 1:56.4 while prevailing by 2-1/4 lengths.  They paid $6.00 to win for co-owner and trainer Randy Bickmore with partner Theresa Coulston.

In the $4,600 conditioned trot finale, Love Kitten gave Campbell another opportunity to blaze a fiery trail as the duo ran off and hid from the rest of the pack, conquering in 1:59.4 by eight lengths.  Trained by Steven Vafiades for owner Jason Vafiades, it was the second straight score for the 5-year-old daughter of Jailhouse Jesse.  She paid $2.20 as the heavy 1-9 favorite and was claimed following the event, but not before Drew Campbell had racked up six wins on the program.

Steve Wilson took the featured $6,500 Winners Over Trot with Inquiring Mind in 2:00.2.  Trained and owned by Robert Cushing, the 6-year-old son of Chapter Seven paid a whopping $30.80 to win by a scant half-length.  Little Macabee (Drew Campbell) finished second; Foxy Trottin Stick (Nick Graffam) was third.

Sunday’s (Dec. 8) card boasts nine divisions of the numerous pop-up series, with purses ranging from $6,000 to $8,000, along with the weekly $4,000 Maine Amateur Driving Club race.

On each of the three racing days the Pick 5 starts with the third race, 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.

The 19-day meet continues through Dec. 22, 2024, and post time is always 10:55 am.  Our annual Au Revoir Retirement Ceremonies will take place on Saturday, Dec. 21, with a total of 12 entries to be paraded in front of their loyal Downeast fan base.

For more information go to our website: firsttrackscumberland.com, or find us on Facebook: @FirstTracksCumberland

December 14, 2024 – by Chris Tully, for First Tracks Cumberland

CUMBERLAND, ME – Maine-bred sophomore pacing filly My Sweet Revenge helped hot driver Drew Campbell grab four victories during the kickoff to Cumberland Raceway’s penultimate weekend on Friday (Dec. 13), defeating older mares in the process. 

The 3-year-old daughter of Maine’s top pacing sire Western Maverick let Perfect Bloom and McGwire Sowers take the lead into a snappy :28.2 opening panel.  Deedee Didit and Aaron Hall helped push the pacesetter into that taxing early fraction while they eventually donned the two-hole through the second half in a more pedestrian :59.2.

Campbell pulled My Sweet Revenge to the outside going down the backside and into the 1:28.3 third stanza, collaring pacesetter Perfect Bloom around the final turn.  As the $6,000 fillies and mares pacing pop-up series field straightened out for home the even money favorite found another gear and scooted away from her colleague by two lengths and scored in 1:58.2.

Trained by Benson Merrill for owner Leighton Property, it was the fourth seasonal victory and a new lifetime mark for the distaff, paying $4.20 to win. 

Perfect Bloom finished second; Virtual Success (Nick Graffam) got up for third.

Drew Campbell also won the daily double with Cash Crazy Express (1:59, $11.60) and Dancethebigdance N (1:58.3, $21.80), with the double returning a whopping $68.80.  Campbell grabbed his four-bagger in the finale with Rise Above (1:59.2), and paid a healthy $15.60 for the win.

The staff and management of First Tracks Cumberland would like to take this opportunity to offer hearty congratulations to the 2024 inductees to the New England Harness Writers Hall of Fame.  The esteemed group includes Walter Case Jr. and Kevin Switzer Sr., as well as posthumous honorees Mike Andrew and Bill Varney.  The four individuals will be formally recognized at the Maine Harness Horsemen’s Association annual banquet on December 28 in Auburn, ME.

The live harness racing action continues on Saturday (Dec. 14) with a 10-race card, which includes a $6,500 Winners Over Trot.  The early morning line favorite is Jax Spratt (5-2, Kevin Switzer Jr.) who never looked back last week while leaving from pylon position.  Empereurthebest FR (3-1, Walter Case Jr.) and Inquiring Mind (7-2, Steve Wilson) are also coming off of wins last week.

There is also a $6,000 Winners Over Pace on Saturday, led by Varney (2-1, Nick Graffam) who has earned $66,160 this year and been 18 times 1-2-3 in 32 outings.  The second choice, and last week’s victor, is Sixfingerfreddie (3-1) who gave top reinsman Drew Campbell his 6,000^th career victory. 

Sunday’s (Dec. 8) card boasts nine divisions of the numerous pop-up series, with purses ranging from $6,000 to $8,000, along with the weekly $4,000 Maine Amateur Driving Club race.

On each of the three racing days the Pick 5 starts with the third race, 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.

The 19-day meet continues through Dec. 22, 2024, and post time is always 10:55 am.  Our annual Au Revoir Retirement Ceremonies will take place on Saturday, Dec. 21, with a total of 13 entries to be paraded in front of their loyal Downeast fan base.

For more information go to our website: firsttrackscumberland.com, or find us on Facebook: @FirstTracksCumberland

December 12, 2024 – by Chris Tully, for First Tracks Cumberland

CUMBERLAND, ME – Cumberland Raceway’s next to last weekend kicks off on Friday (Dec. 13) and has significant purse increases, due in large part to the second legs of over a dozen pop-up series divisions.

The first of three weekend cards carries nine races with five $6,000 divisions of TrackMaster rating or conditioned paces, with several of the filly and mare participants looking to repeat their visits to the winners circle.  In the $5,500 top F&M class, both Vel Miss Taylor (7-2, McGwire Sowers) and South St Dottie (5-2, Nick Graffam) come off of wins in that class and will look to keep early favorite Windydayatthebeach (9-5, Drew Campbell) at bay.

The action continues on Saturday (Dec. 14) with a 10-race card, which includes a $6,500 Winners Over Trot.  The early morning line favorite is Jax Spratt (5-2, Kevin Switzer Jr.) who never looked back last week while leaving from pylon position.  Empereurthebest FR (3-1, Walter Case Jr.) and Inquiring Mind (7-2, Steve Wilson) are also coming off of wins last week.

There is also a $6,000 Winners Over Pace on Saturday, led by Varney (2-1, Nick Graffam) who has earned $66,160 this year and been 18 times 1-2-3 in 32 outings.  The second choice, and last week’s victor, is Sixfingerfreddie (3-1) who gave hot driver Drew Campbell his 6,000^th career victory. 

Sunday’s (Dec. 8) card boasts nine divisions of the various pop-up series, with purses ranging from $6,000 to $8,000 and the $4,000 Maine Amateur Driving Club race.

On each of the three racing days the Pick 5 starts with the third race, 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.

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, with a total of 12 entries to be paraded in front of their Maine fan base.

For more information go to our website: firsttrackscumberland.com, or find us on Facebook: @FirstTracksCumberland

December 10, 2024 – by Chris Tully, for First Tracks Cumberland

CUMBERLAND, ME – Sizzling teamster Drew Campbell added another hat trick to his impressive win total on Monday (Dec. 9), taking another three races at Cumberland Raceway.  Fresh off his 6,000^th career driving win on Saturday, the Halifax, Nova Scotia-native continues to add more and more victories to his meet-leading total.

Sunday’s (Dec. 8) card was postponed due to inclement weather, and was raced on Monday (Dec. 9) with the previously programmed 11-race card, where Campbell had eight drives and picked right up where he left off.

In Race six, Drew ‘send em’ Campbell sent Miki De Vie right out for the lead from post five to capture the $6,000 conditioned pace in 1:56.1 by a neck over a fast-closing Tobins Burke (Andy Harrington).  The 4-year-old son of Always B Miki made every call a winning one and paid $3.00 for trainer Chris Lefebvre and owner MLefebvre Racing.  It was win number 6,001 for the orange-clad reinsman, who was not finished yet.

Campbell then took the $7,000 co-featured conditioned pop-up leg with Ranaldi in 1:57.1 for trainer-owner Dakota Niles.  The 5-year-old Maine-bred son of Western Maverick paid $4.80 for his off the pace score, defeating Drinka Beer (Andy Harrington) and Denver Seelster (Dave Ingraham), who finished second and third, respectively.

Coming right back in the finale, Campbell and Southwind Legend got shuffled back to last in the $5,000 pop-up series leg and swooped the field in the last half to prevail by a head in 1:59.  The 5-year-old Benson Merrill-trained son of Betting Line paid $12.60 for the score.  Maching Time (Walter Case Jr.) finished second; Skyful Of Lighters (Dave Ingraham) was third.

The other $7,000 co-featured conditioned pop-up leg was captured by Lexus With a View A in 1:57.  Driven by Nick Graffam for co-owner and trainer Jamie Gerard (with partner Strategic Racing Stable), the 10-year-old son of Somebeachsomewhere grabbed his fourth seasonal victory, paying $9.20 to win.  Thinking Of Slim (Aaron Hall) finished second; Next Big Thing (Andy Harrington) was third.

The always exciting Maine Amateur Driving Club (MADC) race saw its president and charismatic leader Joe Burke cop his first win of the season, steering local fan favorite Bo Master to a head victory in 1:59 over the favored Easy As That and Todd Whitney.  The 10-year-old son of Sportsmaster went from pillar to post and paid $14.60 in the $4,000 event for owner Kori Deslandes and trainer Bob Marston.  As always, the MADC is sponsored by the Blue Seal Feed Stores of Windham and North Yarmouth, Maine.

The duo of driver Steve Wilson and trainer Mike Cushing took home the daily double on Monday, scoring with Lucky Michael (2:01, $3.20) and Touch Of Character (1:59.1, $3.80), with both victories being on the front end.

For Lucky Michael, who is owned by Mike Graham and Mike Cushing, it was his fourth win of the season and first since the Farmington Fair in September.  For Touch Of Character, it was his second consecutive score, and seventh on the season, for owner Darrell Tibbetts.

Aaron Hall also picked up a pair of victories on the mid-day program, and trainer Benson Merrill harnessed a couple of winners.  After the 13 cards of Cumberland’s Winter Festival meet, Drew Campbell is the leading driver with 35 wins in 128 starts.  McGwire Sowers is second with 23 victories, and Walter Case Jr. rounds out the top three with 16 scores.  The meet’s leading conditioner is Autym Robinson with an impressive 13-12-6 in 52 starts.

Overall, the year’s leading driver is Kevin Switzer Jr. who leads the 2024 pack with 84 wins.  Drew Campbell is approaching fast with 77 wins, which puts him in second place per annum.  Walter Case Jr. is third with 56.

Racing resumes Friday (Dec. 13) with another three-day weekend of action continuing on Saturday and Sunday (Dec. 14 and 15).  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, with a total of 12 entrants to be paraded in front of their Maine fan base.

For more information go to our website: firsttrackscumberland.com, or find us on Facebook: @FirstTracksCumberland

December 7, 2024 – by Chris Tully, for First Tracks Cumberland

CUMBERLAND, ME – Veteran reinsman Drew Campbell skillfully secured lifetime driving victory number 6,000 on Saturday (Dec. 7) at Cumberland Raceway, winning three races overall on the mid-day racing program.  In the tenth race on the card Campbell fed Sixfingerfreddie racetrack from the start and never looked back, tackling the lofty threshold.

Winning races at nearly 20 percent, the native of Nova Scotia has been plying his trade in the states since the late 1980’s and has driven in over 30,000 races and earned over $21 million.  The benchmark victory came as the 57-year-old is poised to head south for the winter.

“I’m glad I got it done before the end of the year,” reacted the Winter Meet’s leading driver.  “It’s a lot of hard work.  My hats off to all the drivers that have way more wins than me.”

Members of Maine’s tight knit drivers colony were all on hand to congratulate one of their own on his career milestone.  Known as an assertive driver who likes to ‘send em,’ his white-pants-wearing colleagues were quick to have some fun with the good natured fellow.

“Wish Drew was a little more aggressive off the gate, otherwise he’d already have 10,000 wins, lol,” quipped Walter Case Jr. on one of the dozens of congratulatory posts that filled social media feeds shortly after his third win of the day.

Drew Campbell has literally been on fire since the winter meet began, racking up 32 wins with an .405 UDRS in just the last 12 racing dates.

“I have to thank the owners and trainers that have put their faith in me over the years,” Campbell stated. 

While he is grateful for the opportunities that have afforded him this significant accomplishment, he closed with “my parents would be proud.”

Campbell started his hat trick with Valyrian Steel (2:01, $2.40) in race four, then grabbed the eighth with Love Kitten (2:00.3, $7.60) and copped number 6,000 two events later with Sixfingerfreddie.  Trained and co-owned by Randy Bickmore (with Theresa Coulston) the 7-year-old son of Bettor’s Delight handily won the $6,000 co-featured Winners Over Pace in 1:58.2.  He paid $6.60 to win by 1-3/4 lengths over the favored Varney (Nick Graffam) who finished second.

The $6,000 co-featured Winners Over Trot was captured by Jax Spratt in 2:01.  Driven by Kevin Switzer Jr. for trainer Aaron Hall and owner Bill Phipps, the 4-year-old son of Devious Man grabbed his 13th seasonal victory, paying $8.60 to win.

Speaking of Walter Case Jr., the veteran pilot secured three wins of his own on the 11-race program, including: Outspoken Man (1:57.2, $5.80), Twin B Jays (1:57.2, $5.60) and Empereurthebest FR (2:00.1, $3.60) who gave trainer Jim Dunn his 500^th career training victory.

Sunday’s (Dec. 8) card has been cancelled due to inclement weather, and will be raced on Monday (Dec. 9) at the regular post time.  The postponed card boasts ten divisions of various pop-up series and the $4,000 Maine Amateur Driving Club race.

Wagering options include the Pick 5 which starts with the third race; our Pick 4 highlights the eighth, and our High-Five Pentafecta in the final race—all with low 16% takeouts.

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, with a total of 12 entries to be paraded in front of their Maine fan base.

For more information go to our website: firsttrackscumberland.com, or find us on Facebook: @FirstTracksCumberland

December 7, 2024 – by Chris Tully, for First Tracks Cumberland
(Joe Shaw photos)

CUMBERLAND, ME – McGwire Sowers drove a grand slam of four winners on Friday (Dec. 6) at Cumberland Raceway, which also gave the ‘Rising Star’ his 1,000^th career victory.

The 24-year-old wasted little time getting hitting the four-digit threshold as he steered Wilbur Brown’s gray gelding Its Just Numbers to a wire-to-wire score in the opener, paying $5.00 to win.  Tripping the timer in 2:02.3 and winning by 2-1/4 lengths, Sowers had been waiting all week for his chance to get that seemingly elusive benchmark.

Going into last Sunday (Dec. 1) Sowers was at 999 wins and had ten drives, only to finish second and third a half dozen times. 

“It was nice to get the job done, finally,” noted the 2021 Monticello-Goshen USHWA Rising Star award winner. “I am thankful to all the trainers and owners that put their trust in me.  Now it’s on to the next one thousand!”

And roll on he did.  Following the winners circle presentation that honored his accomplishment where he was surrounded by his fellow drivers, girlfriend and trainer Autym Robinson, and other well-wishers, the New Brunswick-born reinsman racked up another three victories on the mid-day card.

Sowers scored with American Maverick (1:59.4, $14.40), and a pair for Robinson: Moonlightandroses (2:00.4, $3.40) and Shes A Sassy Beach (1:59.1, $3.60).

Raised in the Pine Tree State, McGwire Sowers drove his first race a dozen years ago when he was 12 at Cornish Trotting Park, and cut his teeth on the competitive Maine Fair Circuit while in his teens.

When he was not driving at the fairs, he was home in Woodstock (Maine) attending high school, as well as playing youth hockey.  When Sowers turned 18, he earned his high school diploma early and joined his father, Bo, to begin his driving career at Rosecroft Raceway in Maryland.

Rosecroft is where Sowers scored his first career pari-mutuel driving victory on March 11, 2018, with family-owned Terem Up Louie, who went off at 12-1 odds. It was a deep stretch battle and a crowded finish with Sowers out in front in 1:54.4.

Interestingly, McGwire’s mother Tammy Sowers won the second race with her own Pink Delight in Cumberland’s second race.  Driven by Dan Rawlings to a wire-to-wire score from post eight, the 5-year-old daughter of Huntsville blasted home in 1:59.4 to win by 3-3/4 lengths.  She paid $14.40 to win in her first start outside of Monticello since the Fryeburg Fair.

Nick Graffam enjoyed a pair of victories on the program, including a victory with their Norton Farm stable star South St Dottie in the $5,500 feature.  Trained by Mike Graffam for owner-breeder Jan Donaway, the 4-year-old daughter of Western Maverick won in 1:58.4 by 2 lengths, paying $14.40.  The former Maine Sire Stakes Champion now has $ 187,316 in lifetime earnings.

Drew Campbell now has 5,997 wins and has eight drives on the Saturday card, which features a $5,000 guaranteed Pick-5 beginning with race three. 

The feature is $6,000 Winners Over Pace, led by Varney (2-1, Nick Graffam) who has earned $64,660 this year and been 17 times 1-2-3 in 31 outings.  The second choice is Sixfingerfreddie (5-2, Drew Campbell) who won in 1:53.4 at Plainridge a few starts back.

Sunday’s (Dec. 8) card boasts ten divisions of the various pop-up series and the $4,000 Maine Amateur Driving Club race.

On each of the three racing days, 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 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, with a total of 12 entries to be paraded in front of their Maine fan base.

For more information go to our website: firsttrackscumberland.com, or find us on Facebook: @FirstTracksCumberland

December 5, 2024 – by Chris Tully, for First Tracks Cumberland

CUMBERLAND, ME – Cumberland Raceway has added a third day to their Winter Festival schedule, with Friday racing beginning Dec. 6 and continuing for the next three weeks of December.  Racing Secretary Rob Pennington has written four series with two early legs and finals going for $10,000 each on the weekend of Dec. 21 and 22.  Due to the elevated purse offerings, the box was overflowing with entries which resulted in 12 divisions of the first preliminary leg with total purses exceeding $60,000.

Friday’s (Dec. 6) card has nine races with two $4,500 divisions of the TrackMaster series and a $5,500 featured fillies and mares pace, led by Windydayatthebeach (3-2, Drew Campbell).  The 4-year-old daughter of Downbytheseaside drops down from tougher Plainridge company for trainer Randy Bickmore.

The action continues on Saturday (Dec. 7) with an 11-race card, which includes a $6,000 Winners Over Trot.  The early morning line favorite is Motto (5-2, McGwire Sowers) who has earned $83,425 this season.  The second choice is Jax Spratt (3-1, Kevin Switzer Jr.) who scores from pylon position. Chasing them will be two last start winners in Little Macabee (7-2, Drew Cambell) and Knight Angel (4-1, Aaron Hall).

Saturday’s card also carries a $6,000 Winners Over Pace, led by Varney (2-1, Nick Graffam) who has earned $64,660 this year and been 17 times 1-2-3 in 31 outings.  The second choice is Sixfingerfreddie (5-2, Drew Campbell) who won in 1:53.4 at Plainridge a few starts back.

Sunday’s (Dec. 8) card boasts ten divisions of the various pop-up series and the $4,000 Maine Amateur Driving Club race.

On each of the three racing days, 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 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, with a total of 12 entries to be paraded in front of their Maine fanbase.

For more information go to our website: firsttrackscumberland.com, or find us on Facebook: @FirstTracksCumberland