The Maine faithful must have been impressed with the results of the 100th Hambletonian won by a Swedish-born horse in a stakes record 1:50 at The Meadowlands, because shortly after Ake Svanstedt’s Nordic Catcher S won the prestigious $1.3 million dollar race on Saturday (Aug. 2), the horsemen at Cumberland Raceway put on a speed show of their own.
The featured race of the day, the annual $34,722 Pine Tree Invitational Pace, witnessed history in the making as former Maine Sire Stakes star Two Fold Cold (Dave Ingraham) allowed the front end fisticuffs to unfold in front of him. So Rock N Roll (Bruce Ranger) protected his pylon position at the start which forced 1-5 favourite Tenzing Bromac N (Ron Cushing) to push onward to take command into a swift :27.1 opening panel.
Past the :57 half Drew Campbell tipped Instant Replay from fifth, thus flushing the cover of Ingraham who was forced to pull Two Fold Cold around the five-eighths pole. Gaining ground with every stride Two Fold Cold poked a head in front of the pacesetter through the snappy 1:24.2 third quarter station and took the top through the final turn.
As Ingraham checked over his shoulder and crossed over the long shadow of the grandstand, the four-year-old pacing gelding stopped the timer in 1:53.1, which was the fastest mile ever paced in the history of Cumberland Raceway.
Owned by Marc Tardif and trained by Kelly Case, Two Fold Cold (Deuce Seelster - Snow Cone A) was bred in Maine by Gary and Kristina Hall. His fourth win of the season, and 20th lifetime, Two Fold Cold paid $6.80 to win by a comfortable four-length margin.
Tenzing Bromac finished second; Instant Replay was third.
A few races later while dusk began to settle over the Downeast oval, Drew Campbell sent Alex Having Fun out to the front in a snappy :27.4 first quarter. From that point the only questions remaining were how fast, and by how many?
By the 1:25.1 third panel Alex Having Fun had established a four-length advantage, and by the head of the stretch that command had increased to eight.
Under the wire, it became obvious that records were made to be broken, as Campbell unleashed the eight-year-old gelding and the pair sprinted home all alone in 1:53 by 14-1/4 lengths, eclipsing the all-age pacing track record established earlier on the card.
Owned and trained by Kimberly Vafiades, Alex Having Fun (Rock N Roll Heaven - Arterra; pictured above) won his third start of the season and 38th of his career, paying $2.80 to win. The new standard will surely stand for at least a few months as racing resumes for the annual Cumberland Fair in late September.
Velocity Sub Z (Bruce Ranger) finished second; Ever Hoping A (Ron Cushing) was third.
Earlier in the card Ron Cushing steered Beat Bobby Bayou to a 1:56.2 romp in the $13,889 Open Trot. Re-writing the record books and establishing a new all-age track record for trotters, the four-year-old son of Hill I Am is owned by Steve Moskowitz Racing and paid $2.20 to win.
Judge Bob (Drew Campbell) finished second; Big Al M (Kevin Switzer Jr.) was third.
Two $16,143 divisions of the Maine Sire Stakes for two-year-old male pacers were captured by Real Horrorshow (Kevin Switzer Jr., 2:00.2, $2.20) and Mias Boy (Mark Athearn, 2:03.1, $15.80). Dalton Lee won the $11,111 Maine Amateur Driving Club final with Jaxson R Browne in 2:00, paying $27.80.
Driver Kevin Switzer Jr. led all drivers by winning three races on the program, en route to seasonal honours as the perennial leading reinsman also led the dash win total (57) for the 35 race dates during Cumberland’s extended Spring/Summer pari-mutuel meet. McGwire Sowers, who led early on, finished second with 51, Drew Campbell was third with 37
The leading conditioners were Autym Sowers (38), Benson Merrill (32) and Andy Harrington (22).
Racing resumes at First Tracks Cumberland for the annual Cumberland Fair, which starts Sunday, Sept. 21 and continues daily through Sunday, Sept. 28. The Maine Sire Stakes freshman finals highlight the card on Saturday (Sept. 27).
The Winter Festival reconvenes on Nov. 2 and races through Dec. 21. The track's popular Au Revoir retirement ceremonies are slated for Saturday, Dec. 20.
(with files from First Tracks Cumberland)