As the state of Maine witnessed the closure of Scarborough Downs last year, a massive void was left for the harness racing community. Enter First Track Investments LLC.

Reports indicate that First Track Investments plans to schedule 56 days of racing at the Cumberland Fairgrounds -- now rebranded as First Tracks Cumberland. The 2021 harness racing season will kick off on Saturday, May 8 with the Spring/Summer cards set for a post time of 4:15 p.m. A full calendar can be found here on the track's new website.

Live harness racing will be held Tuesdays and Saturdays through July 31. First Tracks Cumberland collaborated with Bangor in the North and Plainridge in the South to ensure that horsemen had seamless racing opportunities with no overlap.

The Cumberland County Fair, the traditional setting for harness racing at the grounds, is scheduled to be held this year from Sept. 26 through Oct. 2. According to the fair's website, harness racing is still slated for these dates.

Racing then resumes again in November for the Winter Festival, post time 11 a.m. for three, and sometimes four days per week, through December 31.

(with files from First Track Cumberland)