First Tracks Cumberland’s closing weekend purses have reached nearly a quarter of a million dollars when the track will offer $235,500 USD in purses on Friday (Aug. 2) and Saturday (Aug. 3).
Closing day on Saturday, Aug. 3 has a special 3:25 pm post time with full card simulcasting of Hambletonian Day at the Meadowlands and Whitney Stakes Day at Saratoga. Gates open at 11 a.m. and programs from those two big tracks will be available.
Saturday’s 14-race card starts with two $16,000-plus USD divisions for Maine-sired freshmen male pacers. The opener pits Jax Attack (7-5, Walter Case Jr.) against Cheatin Fate (3-1, Andrew Harrington) who both hail from the powerful Marc Tardif stable. Just Aftermidnight (3-1, Switzer) completes the stable’s troika.
The second $16,161 USD Maine Sire Stakes division shows Massive Speed (3-5, Case) as the heavy favourite, with that third race named in memory of tack shop man ‘Ridgecrest’ Dan Chamberlin.
Race seven is the $12,500 USD Frank Dubreuil Jr. Memorial which is a Winners Over class of top pacers led by former Maine Sire Stakes champion Call Me Maverick (2-1, John Beckwith). Other contenders are Lifes A Puzzle (5-2, Case) and Bet On Joe (9-2, Switzer).
Race eight is the $8,000 USD Maine Amateur Driving Club (MADC) final with runaway point leader Hunter Lofthus looking to secure his spot in the Tim Fouts Memorial Amateur Driving Championship at Delaware during Jug week. The MADC is sponsored by the Blue Seal Feed Stores of North Yarmouth and Windham, Maine.
In addition to the $12,500 USD Winners Over trot and several $10,000 USD pop-up series finals, the highlight of the day may be the $25,000 USD Pine Tree Invitational Pace, which presents some of the best pacers in the state of Maine. The early favourite is Heinikin Bythebay (9-5, Switzer) who scores from the pylon position. He is followed by The Wild Card (4-1, Graffam) and So Rock N Roll (5-1, Bruce Ranger).
The live action resumes during the annual Cumberland Fair for a week of racing beginning September 22 and continuing through Sept. 29. The track’s 19-day Winter Festival begins November 2 and races through December 22 and will include the popular Au Revoir Retirement Ceremonies.
(with files from First Tracks Cumberland)