Diminutive trotter Little Macabee made his Thanksgiving homecoming a memorable one, winning the $8,451 featured Winners Over Trot at Cumberland Raceway on Saturday, Nov. 30.

Scoring from pylon position, leading reinsman Drew Campbell was content to let Broadway Giant (Wally Watson) and High Gear No Fear (Nick Graffam) take the early lead while he took a seat in third with the 10-year-old son of Chapter Seven. Watson and his charge led the field into a :29.1 opening panel under the bright, morning sun.

When the trotters turned to pass the stands going to the half, Campbell tipped Little Macabee to the outside and set his sights on the leaders into a 1:00.4 second stanza. Nearing the three-quarter pole, the ‘little horse that could’ was inching up on the outside, and by that 1:30.1 third panel was looking Broadway Giant right in the eye.

With the momentum in his favour and the heart of a lion, Little Macabee responded with a final surge down the lane and won handily in 2:01.4 by 1-1/2 lengths. High Gear No Fear finished a fast closing second and Broadway Giant hung on for third.

Trained and owned by the Skowhegan-based husband and wife team of Chad and Maryann Tompkins, Little Macabee earned his sixth seasonal victory from 20 starts and 41st victory in his lengthy career. The win pushed his lifetime bankroll to $292,344. He paid $6 to win.

In other news, ‘Mighty’ McGwire Sowers picked up a driving grand slam on the 13-race program, with two of the winners being harnessed by his girlfriend Autym Robinson. The 24-year-old rising star is now at 999 wins lifetime and has a drive in all but three of 13 races on Sunday.  His victories included Shes A Sassy Beach (1:59.3, $2.80), Perfect Bloom (2:00, $7.60), Vel Miss Taylor (2:00.3, $7) and Its Just Numbers (2:04.3, $15.40).

Who’s having more fun than 86-year-young harness racing trainer-driver-owner Bob Nadeau this holiday weekend? Not only did his mare Azariya draw the rail two weeks in a row, but this week he grabbed his second consecutive victory right on the front end. Scoring in 2:01 by 3-1/2 lengths, everyone’s favourite Octogenarian was all smiles in the winner’s circle where his supporters received a nice $6 win ticket to go with their Pumpkin Pie. For the four-year-old daughter of Lazarus N, it was her fifth win of the season, as well as the driver's.

The meet’s leading driver, Drew Campbell, had a pair of victories on the mid-day card which gives him 26 for the Winter Festival meet.  He is now at 5,994 lifetime, putting him just six wins away from the six grand threshold. Sowers sits second in the standings with 18 victories and Aaron Hall is third with 12.  Hall also enjoyed two trips to the Cumberland winner’s circle on Saturday.

The action continues on Sunday with a 13-race card of full fields, which includes a $5,500 USD conditioned pace and a $4,000 USD leg of the Maine Amateur Driving Club with series leader Hunter Lofthus scoring from post six with 3-2 favourite Real Thing.

First Tracks Cumberland will transition to three days of harness racing each week (Friday-Saturday-Sunday) beginning, next week on Dec. 6. The 19-day meet continues through Dec. 22, 2024 and post time is always 10:55 a.m. The track's popular Au Revoir Retirement Ceremonies are slated for Saturday, Dec. 21; contact Chris Tully for more information or to declare entries.

(With files from First Tracks Cumberland)