Racing resumes at the iconic Cumberland Raceway on Sunday (Nov. 6) for the first of 21 Southern Maine racing dates dubbed the “Winter Festival” and kicks off with a Pick 5 and an 11-race card.
Racing Secretary Marc Reynolds was quite pleased with the full entry box and has carded 11 races of full fields that are set to begin with an earlier 11 a.m. post time. “The horsemen and women are eager to continue racing as the Maine Fair circuit ended last month, and everyone is excited to return back home to Cumberland,” noted Reynolds.
While a pair of $6,500 co-featured open events mark the return of Maine’s Harness Racing families and stables, their familiar faces fill the pages of programs and overnight sheets.
The fifth race $6,500 Open 3 Trot pits two local favorites who set a track record dead heat for win of 1:58.1 in July. Caulfield (post six, Mike Stevenson) is just inside Mister Muscle (Walter Case Jr.). Combined, the two diagonally-gaited geldings have combined earnings of $831,079. Both horses finished third in their respective last starts at Bangor, with Caulfield perhaps a little tighter as he just raced on Wednesday (Nov. 2).
The eighth race $6,500 Open 2 Pace enjoys a match up of a current track record holder Captain Nash (post three, Kevin Switzer Jr.) against former track record holder Rocksapatriot (post five, Dave Ingraham). Both horses have been duking it out in the winners-over class at Bangor, and look to renew their rivalry at Cumberland. Not to be outdone, another track record holder in Rys Red Rocket (Matt Athearn) has drawn inside these guys. The five-year-old daughter of Sunshine Beach looks for her 7th win of the season.
Overall, the entire card has a lot of action for horse players as the Pick 5 starts with the first race, with ten events boasting full seven or eight horse fields. In fact, 47 different conditioners have entered horses for opening day, making this a home-coming week like no other.
First Tracks Cumberland is also proud to present the Polar Express Late Closing Series for the Winter meet. Beginning 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.
Racing continues at First Tracks Cumberland for our Winter Festival extended pari-mutuel meeting featuring a weekly troika of cards on Friday, Saturday and Sunday (Nov. 11, 12 & 13) which continues through December 24, 2022.
Horsemen should take note of the new draw schedule for the next several weeks:
- Race: Friday, Nov 11 (Draw Monday, Nov 7)
- Race: Sat & Sun, Nov. 12 & 13 (Double Draw Tues. Nov. 8)
- Race: Friday, Nov 18 (Draw Monday, Nov 14)
- Race: Sat & Sun, Nov. 19 & 20 (Double Draw Tues. Nov. 15)
- No racing on Friday, Nov 25
- Race: Sat & Sun, Nov. 26 & 27 (Double Draw Tues. Nov. 22)
(First Tracks Cumberland)