Marc Reynolds has owned horses for thirty years and intends to bring that passion and knowledge of Standardbreds into the fledgling race office at First Tracks Cumberland.
Reynolds was hired as the new Racing Secretary for the upcoming race meet and the Maine native couldn’t be happier.
“I have always loved the harness racing in Maine,” Reynolds said. “I grew up in the Bangor area and I often attended the live racing cards at the Bass Park Facility. In addition I spent much time (with my Dad) on the road travelling to all of Maine's agricultural fair tracks.”
Reynolds continued, “I enjoyed it so much that I bought in on my first horse when I was just 18. From that point on I was bitten by the bug.”
That bug’s name was Sids Champ, a gelding by Allwin Steady that was racing in $2,000 claimers at the Skowhegan Fair. From that point, Marc continued to improve his stock while simultaneously working in the auto industry. Later, Reynolds spent over a decade working as a mortgage professional.
"Eleven years ago I went to the annual Harrisburg Standardbred horse sale and met Mark Weaver,” Reynolds said. “We quickly hit it off and started talking about racehorses and private sales. That conversation turned into several horses being bought and sold between us and an eventual friendship. A few years later I decided to start working full time as a self-employed bloodstock agent.”
The 47-year-old now calls Saratoga Springs his new hometown.
“I moved to the Spa so I could be closer to my racehorses, and just fell in love with the area and met my soon-to-be wife.”
But the call of the racetrack didn’t stop there.
From 2014 through 2016 Marc Reynolds wore a variety of hats at Bangor Raceway under the tutelage of Racing Secretary Fred Nichols. He stepped into a role as fill-in announcer, as well as helping out around the race office.
That experience served him well as Reynolds aims to bring his appetite for harness racing back to Maine.
“I want to incentivize horse ownership in the state of Maine. The Cumberland Track really injects some new life into the sport in Maine and I am committed to helping the race office become part of that renaissance.”
Harness racing passion really does start at the fairs.
(Cumberland Fair)