May 15, 2025, by Chris Tully, for First Tracks Cumberland
CUMBERLAND, ME – With Cumberland Raceway the only track in the Pine Tree State that is racing this week, both the Friday (May 16) and Saturday (May 17) cards at the iconic Southern Maine oval are chock full of opportunity.
Friday’s card boasts 11 races, all with either 7 or 8 horse fields. The $5,500 feature is the eighth race conditioned trot with last week’s victor, McStoned Again (3-1, McGwire Sowers) looking to capitalize on his inside position. The slight 5-2 morning line favorite is Big Al M who had a win against a similar group two starts ago and looks to mirror that performance with his owner-trainer Zach Vickerson at the controls. The 7-2 third choice is J S Peyton (Bruce Ranger) who puts his two-race winning streak on the line in the start of the Pick 4.
The action kicks off at 3:15 pm on Friday, with a Trifecta in every race and also 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.
