With record high temperatures around the Northeast and the Atlantic coast forecast this weekend, Friday and Saturday harness racing at Cumberland is also expected to heat up accordingly.
Friday’s featured $6,000 Open II Trot at Cumberland includes several overachievers that will look to maintain their relative success, or at least prevent their rivals from doing the same.
Warrawee Preferred (post five, Matt Athearn) found some redemption last week and now has won three of his last four against this bunch. While his efforts are on the upswing, a couple of Plainridge invaders will look to steal some of that thunder.
Kyrie Deo (post two, Mark Athearn) won his last start at Cumberland six weeks ago on opening day, but has only garnered a fifth-place cheque down south since that time. Having earned $64,587 last year, he has some catching up to do. Just outside of him is Northern Skyway (post three, Nick Graffam), who made $122,280 last season and wants to grab some stardom of his own.
Of course, Little Macabee (post one, Aaron Hall) and Broadway Giant (post four, Bruce Ranger) have also been playing in the same sandbox and garnering their own respectable share of the prizes. This should be an interesting race, which is carded as number nine on the 10-race program, and is the start of the late double as well as the middle of the Pick-3.
Trots and paces are equally divided at five on the Friday card, with Saturday’s program being all-pace, all-day.
The featured $4,800 conditioned pace on the Preakness Day card shows Readyfortheladys (post six, Aaron Hall) looking to get off the schneid with a string of three bridesmaid finishes. Moving up in class off of two consecutive victories is The Shining (post fpur, Drew Campbell), who looks to keep his winning streak alive. Supreme Mach N (post two, Bruce Ranger) is also fresh off a victory in a comparable lower class. Race six carries the 20-cent Superfecta and is part of the Pick-6 (Races 3-8).
Racing fans and bettors will be able to watch and wager on this Saturday’s Preakness Stakes, the 147th renewal of the middle jewel of the Thoroughbred Triple Crown from Pimilco Race Course. Full Preakness Day programs will be available and betting windows will be open for the first post at 10:30 a.m., which will be broadcast live from the Maryland Jockey Club in Baltimore, Maryland. There will be TV monitors covering all the Thoroughbred action and the Trackside Pub concession stand will also be open in the Fairgrounds grandstand.
Post time for the spring/summer meet is now 4 p.m. on both Fridays and Saturdays, with the extended pari-mutuel meeting racing each weekend through July 23.
The final race on both Friday and Saturday features a 20-cent Hi-Five (Pentafecta), with a low takeout of 16 per cent.
(With files from First Tracks Cumberland)