Driver Drew Campbell won three-in-a-row, including a 10-1 score in the $10,000 final of the Polar Express Late Closing Series #1 with Sherry Cushing’s Invictus Hanover on Friday (Dec. 16) at Cumberland.
Scoring from post three, Invictus Hanover and Campbell got shuffled back to seventh as several early leavers tussled for command of the snowy racing surface. Three of the four outermost horses left swiftly, and despite the wind-driven precipitation, Cee Pee Panic (Nick Graffam) was parked and forced by a yielding Cash Crazy Express (Aaron Hall) to set a :28.3 opening panel. Led Schneppelin (Jason Bertolini) was the first to pull past the :59.1 half-mile marker and was looking the leader right in the eye into a 1:29.2 third panel. Following him was Eternal Ring (Mike Stevenson), who was second-over, followed closely by Invictus Hanover (Campbell) in the outer flow.
The pack was tight around the final turn with Led Schneppelin, at 48-1, sticking a head in front. As they turned for home, four horses fanned out across the track for the last dash to the wire, with Invictus Hanover getting up in the final strides to win by half a length in 2:02. Led Schneppelin hung on tough for second and Eternal Ring was third.
Invictus Hanover is trained by Cumberland’s talented outrider, Charlene ‘Sherry’ Cushing, for owner Craig Jordan. The 11-year-old son of Yankee Cruiser earned the 40th win of his career. He paid $22.40 to win. The 3-7 exacta, with Led Schneppelin on the bottom, paid $199.90 for a $1 ticket, with the 3-7-1 trifecta coming back a whopping $1,660.50.
The Blue Seal Feeds swag bucket trophy was presented to the winning connections by Melanie Locke from the Windham, Maine, Blue Seal Feeds retail location.
(With files from First Tracks Cumberland)