First Tracks Cumberland’s second full weekend of racing features 32 races beginning on Friday (Nov. 18) and running through Sunday (Nov. 20), with many top performers looking for a recurring visit to the Cumberland winner's circle.
The action starts on Friday with an all-star cast of filly and mare pacers which fill six of the 10 programmed events. The $4,800 featured race pits a pentagram of proficient performers against one another, all of which that have won a race in their last three outings. Im Too Soxy (Andy Harrington) comes in as the 2-1 morning line favourite off a neck victory in her last start. Humor Me (5-2, Aaron Hall) is the second choice and gets into this event via a rare Maine claiming tag. Third choice is Rojas Blue Chip (3-1, Mike Stevenson), who also won her last start against lesser foes.
Many of these horses are prepping for the upcoming Polar Express Late Closing Series and should be looking for fungible tokens to fill their owners’ Christmas stockings with cold, hard cash.
Saturday’s card marks the return of many of the top pacers in the state, sans last week’s track record-setting Adriano Hanover, who equalled the all-age pacing benchmark of 1:53.4. The $6,500 Open 2 Pace will have to make do with just three current or former track record holders in Captain Nash (7-2, Andy Harrington), Rys Red Rocket (3-1, Matty “Ice” Athearn) and Rocksapatriot (4-1, Dave Ingraham).
In addition, Star Speaker (5-2, Drew Campbell) enters this week’s fray off a nose triumph in last week’s Open 3 Pace, and a win the week before at Bangor in a $10,000 claimer. The aforementioned foursome have drawn for posts three through six, which should be a contest of who controls the pace and/or or gets the trip.
The Sunday program has 11 races, four of which are trotting events. The featured $6,500 Open 2 Trot includes a stellar field of veteran performers, including Broadway Giant (5-2, Bruce Ranger) and Caulfield (3-1, Mike Stevenson), who was last week’s winner. ‘Courageous’ Caulfield is a 10-year-old son of Kadabra and has earned $475,382 in 210 lifetime starts with 35 wins. A model of consistency, the Bobby Marston-trained gelding has been 1-2-3 in half of his career outings and hasn’t missed a cheque in his last eight starts.
Moving up into this class are two horses that visited the Blue Seal Feeds Winner's Circle last week: Swan Before All (7-2, Kevin Switzer Jr.) and Namesmuscle (4-1, Mark Athearn).
The $6,000 Open 3-4 Trot is on the undercard and has a handful of recent winners in Cherry Crown Jewel (3-1, Mark Athearn), Osprey Delta (4-1, Stevenson) and L Dees Yoyo Ma (5-1, Kevin Switzer Jr.). Mister Muscle (Walter Case Jr.) has been installed as the slight 5-2 favourite on the morning line, having dropped down from the top class.
Every race, all weekend long, has a 50-cent Trifecta, and the final race each day also features a 20-cent Pentafecta.
For the second season in a row, First Tracks Cumberland will present the Au Revior Retirement Showcase, slated for Saturday, Dec. 17. The event is open to 14-year-old horses that are racing or retired and have Maine connections. Horses will parade in front of the fans in either harness or halter, be featured in a half-page bio with photograph in the program, as well as receive a Barbara Dresser-designed memento. Equine honourees must be present to participate. To enter your horse, or for more information, send an email of interest to Chris Tully at [email protected].
The Polar Express Late Closing Series for the winter meet begins Dec. 2-4, the three individual TrackMaster rating and conditioned events boast over $85,000 of additional earning opportunities for New England horsepeople, for which there is no entry fee. For further details, visit the horsemen page on the track's website.
First Tracks Cumberland and the Maine Harness Horsemen’s Association are collecting nonperishable food items in the race paddock during the next two weekends of racing. This week benefits the Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program and the following week (Dec. 2-4) helps the Maine Children’s Home in Waterville.
Next week’s schedule excludes ‘Black Friday’ (Nov. 26) and restarts on Saturday and Sunday (Nov. 27 & 28) then continues through Dec. 24.
(With files from First Tracks Cumberland)