Motto takes on Maine’s top trotters Friday

CUMBERLAND, ME – Motto, a 5-year-old gelding by Creatine, has spent most of his harness racing career battling the better trotters in his native Buckeye State.  Unraced at 2, Motto earned $139,096 at 3, primarily in the Ohio Sire Stakes, but also in overnights from the Midwest to the Mid-Atlantic.

Last year at 4 he did not return to the form he had displayed 3 and earned just $18,210 in 15 starts.  However, this year at five he has been a model of consistency where he had a win and four second-place finishes in his last six starts at Miami Valley.  His seasonal total of $41,040 was impressive enough to attract the attention of outside interests.  In late-March he was purchased by Derek Robishaw and Gayle Harris of Maine and landed in New England in the Mark Harris Stable.

For his first start in the Bay State, he picked up a show finish at 15-1 for driver Bruce Ranger.  Friday (April 26) he scores from post 7 in the $6,000 featured trot at Cumberland.  Installed as the 3-1 early morning line second choice, with Ranger driving again, he enters the race with twice as much money earned this season than several of his colleagues.

We have to go back several years to 2022 to find the last time Motto raced on a half-mile track, which was at the famed home of the Little Brown Jug, Delaware, Ohio where he finished third in a division of the Ohio Breeders Championship to multiple stakes winner Rose Run Xtra in 1:55.

Interestingly enough, the favorite J S Peyton leaves from pylon position (5-2) with Dan Deslandes who picked that horse over stable mate and last week’s winner Elegant Dulupin FR who drew post 8.

Friday’s card carries eleven races where Saturday (April 27) has an even dozen, which includes the third leg of the Maine Amateur Driving Club.  Going postward as race 3, the 5-2 favorite is Furious Beach with owner-driver Michael Girouard leaving from post 5.

The $5,000 event is faithfully sponsored by the helpful folks at Blue Seal Feed Stores of North Yarmouth and Windham, Maine.

The $6,000 featured pace (race 9) sees Runrunjimmydunn N as the early 9-5 favorite with Kevin Switzer Jr. aboard from post 3.  Railbird PBR Street Gang (Nick Graffam) is the second choice, listed at 2-1.

Every race, all weekend long, has a 50-cent trifecta, and the card also carries a host of 20 cent superfectas, a 50-cent pick 4 and the final race delivers our 20 cent pentafecta (super high five) with a low 16% takeout.

Post time for both days is set for 3:15 pm.

Looking ahead to next week, the public can watch and wager on the 150^th renewal of the Run for the Roses from Churchill Downs, Louisville, KY.  The highly anticipated Kentucky Derby is next Saturday (May 4), with programs, big screen television viewing and betting all available at the Fairgrounds, provided by First Tracks Cumberland.  In addition, a new and improved snack bar has opened on the premises in an effort to give fans a hearty selection of food and drink options.

First Tracks Cumberland Spring/Summer meet will continue throughout the Spring and early Summer months with regular racing on Friday and Saturday each weekend during the extended pari-mutuel meeting, which runs through August 3.

For additional information, visit our website, or find us on social media.

by Chris Tully, for First Tracks Cumberland