The Down East faithful will transition from Farmington to the 153rd annual Cumberland Fair on Sunday, Sept. 21 with eight harness races programmed at the iconic Southern Maine oval.
Many of Maine’s rural fairs are known for their tractor pulls and draft horse demonstrations, however the Cumberland fair was first held in 1868 with harness racing as the Maine attraction. It remains one of the biggest annual agricultural events in the southern part of the Pine Tree state.
The Standardbred horse racing at the Cumberland Fairgrounds will start at 2 p.m. on opening day, Sunday (Sept. 21) with full cards scheduled for eight racing dates through Sunday, Sept. 28.
Post time is slated for 1 p.m. for the Monday through Thursday (Sept. 22-25) programs, and drops backs to 12 p.m. for the remaining weekend dates of Friday through Sunday (Sept. 26-28).
The featured races for the opening day card are the first legs of the Zipper pop-up series, which include three $4,500 USD divisions of the conditioned pacing events with the $7,500 USD series final being held on Sunday, Sept. 28.
Monday’s program of 10 races includes more Pop Ups with two $5,000 USD divisions of the Merry Go Round Pacing Series, as well as a pair of $5,000 USD Tilt-A-Whirl Trotting Series splits. Both series enjoy $8,000 finals on Friday, Sept. 26.
Always a highlight of the ‘Always in September’ Fair, the Maine Sire Stakes continue at Cumberland with three-year-old filly pacers on Wednesday (Sept. 24), and then roll into the three-year-old male pacers on Thursday, Sept. 25, with the three-year-old trotters completing the sophomore divisions on Friday, Sept. 26.
Once again, Cumberland will host the $300,000 USD Maine Sire Stakes two-year-old finals on Saturday, Sept. 27, with two freshmen pacers, Massive Speed and Snowonthepines, putting their unblemished records on the line in their respective showdowns.
After the fair, the track’s 18-day Winter Festival begins Nov. 2 and then follows a two-day Saturday-Sunday schedule throughout the month of November. The month of December picks up Fridays for three-day weekends of racing through Dec. 21. The track's annual Au Revoir Retirement Ceremonies are slated for Dec. 20.
(with files from Cumberland Fair)