Leading driver McGwire Sowers won a handful of races on Friday (June 6) at Cumberland Raceway, including a score with heavy favourite Big Al M in the $6,849 featured trot from the far outside. 

Leaving from his assigned post position eight, the seven-year-old son of Anders Bluestone left swiftly to gain position and dropped in the three hole after Pax Hanover (12-1, Andy Harrington) made a galloping break and pulled to the outside. Rose Run Xander (5-1, Walter Case Jr.) took the field into a snappy :28.2 opening quarter, with Broadway Giant (22-1, Mike Stevenson) enjoying a two-hole trip. 

Heading to the :59.2 softer half, Pax Hanover was back on stride and traveling first over and just a length off the lead. Hot driver McGwire Sowers pulled the 1-9 public choice second over and tracked along in fourth with a several length gap back to the rest of the pack. 

Past the paddock turn, Sowers drove Big Al M like he was the best, sending him three wide down the backside into a 1:29 third panel and was at the saddle pad of the leader as the field entered the final turn. Despite Case’s rocking and urging, trying to keep Rose Run Xander on the lead, Sowers cruised right by in deep stretch to prevail by 1-1/4 lengths. Trained and owned by Zach Vickerson, it was the trotter’s third win of the season, and a seasonal best clocking of 1:59.4.  He paid $2.20 to win, Top Down (39-1, Steve Wilson) finished third. 

Currently the leading driver at Cumberland, the 25-year-old McGwire Sowers added the afternoon’s five victories to his lofty 32 win aggregate, also scoring with: Foxman (1:59.2, $4.40); Vel Straight Out (1:56.3, $3.40); Readyfortheladys (1:58.3, $2.20), and Head Of The Table (2:00.2, $4.00). Two of the winners (Foxman & Vel Straight Out) were harnessed by McGwire’s mother Tammy Sowers, and a third score (Readyfortheladys) was trained by his partner Autym Robinson. 

Racing continues on Saturday (June 7) with 10 races, including the $12,500 USD finals of the Baxter and Rockland Pacing Series.

The Baxter final has 2-1 favourite The Big Aristotle (PP4, Drew Campbell) looking to outstep Beaches B Craycray (3-1, McGwire Sowers) who skims the pegs. Arts Flight (9-2, Aaron Hall) also looks to make some noise coming off a win in the prelims last week. 

The Rockland shows Mr Beast (2-1, Sowers) and Dinner Party (5-2, Campbell) as the horses to beat in the start of the Pick 3. 

Saturday’s program also includes three $5,000 USD divisions of the second leg of our Moosehead Series Late Closers.  There will be wagering available on the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga, the third and final jewel of the Thoroughbred Triple Crown.  Doors open at 12 noon for the flats action, and printed programs are also available for the runners. 

The action kicks off at 3:15 pm on both Friday and Saturday, with a Trifecta in all 10 races, and the program also features a plethora of 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 conclude with our High-Five Pentafecta in the final race—all with low 16 per cent takeouts. 

First Track’s Cumberland's spring/summer meet will continue with racing on Friday and Saturday each weekend. First post is slated for 3:15 p.m. during the extended pari-mutuel meeting, which runs through Aug. 2.

(First Tracks Cumberland)