Maine’s top trotters will go postward just after the famed Kentucky Oaks winning filly dons her blanket of roses on Friday, May 3 at Cumberland. The afternoon card features 11 races, with the $8,219 featured trot slated as race nine with Knight Angel (3-1) listed as the early morning line favourite, and runs in concert with racing from Louisville, Kentucky.
Owned, trained and driven by Aaron Hall, the eight-year-old son of Archangel landed in New England from the Team Miller-Orange Crush Stable in December of last year. He won his first qualifier in the Pine Tree State and then a leg of the Jack Frost series in 2:00.4.
With just two starts under his belt this season, Knight Angel finished second against this group last week, race timed in 1:58.3. He scores from slot four, Cumberland’s winningest (23.2 per cent) post position.
Hall likes his horse and is happy with how he has come back from his break.
“He is in with a tough group. He will have to be even better this week to have a shot,” noted the prominent Maine horseman.
Looking to upset the apple cart is J S Peyton (7-2), who sports two wins in his last three starts, and is the close second choice, scoring from post five.
Trained by Jeff Deslandes, he will be driven by North America’s leading UDRS (<300 starts, 0.436) driver Dan Deslandes. In fact, on April 30 his driving stats were an even more impressive 0.475 in that same category. So far this season the Deslandes clan has dominated the leader board at First Tracks Cumberland with 15 training wins and 16 driving victories.
Not to be overlooked from pylon position is Power Mitt (4-1), who won handily last week in 1:58.3 against a softer bunch. Trained by Bob Marston, he gets the return services of last season’s leading driver Kevin Switzer Jr.
With horse racing’s Kentucky Derby taking center stage in the national spotlight this weekend, Cumberland Raceway offers live harness racing on both Friday, May 3 and Saturday, May 4, along with coverage of two of the biggest days on the Thoroughbred Triple Crown calendar.
Fans and bettors can watch and wager on all the action from Churchill Downs, including Saturday’s 150th Run for the Roses. Doors open at 12 p.m. on Saturday for the full-card simulcast of horse racing’s biggest day, with a host of food and beverage options available all day at the iconic Cumberland Fairgrounds.
In addition, fans and patrons may also watch and wager on Friday’s Kentucky Oaks card from Churchill Downs, while the harness racing action opens the horse-centric weekend on Friday. First post is at 3:15 pm. Both Standardbred and Thoroughbred programs will be available.
First Tracks Cumberland's spring/summer meet continues with regular racing on Friday and Saturday each weekend during the extended pari-mutuel meeting, which runs through Aug. 3.
(First Tracks Cumberland)