Curtain closing for summer season at Bangor

Bangor, Maine … As another potent heatwave takes dead aim on the eastern seaboard, the torrid pace of Bangor Raceway‘s summer harness racing meet continues its march to completion with a twelve-race closing day program slated to get underway starting at 3:00 p.m. (EDT) on Wednesday (July 17).

With seasonal opportunities dwindling, driver Heath Campbell has apparently saved his best performances for the twilight portion of the summer meet, bringing the sizzle to the griddle repeatedly throughout the closing weeks of the session and now challenging for leading driver honors with one day of competition remaining.

Campbell scored a trio of wins on Sunday (July 14) at Bangor, reigning victorious with; Pembroke Breeze (2:00.1-$2.20) who won her third consecutive Maine Sire Stakes event while jogging by six-lengths and taking a new lifetime mark in the $15,983 stakes split; Kea Island (2:00.1-$9.60) who strategically negotiated a keen second-over journey en route to claiming her first win of the season for trainer Sherman Clary, Jr; and KP’s Magic Macy (1:56.2-$20.20), who insistently drove to an early lead through a nifty :28 opening panel while charging toward a gate-to-wire victory for trainer Stanley Whittemore.

The three scores inched Campbell to within one win of driver Dan Deslandes’ meet leading tally of 35 victories. Deslandes who has spent the majority of the summer meeting alone atop the Bangor drivers’ standings has been listed on eight horses on the closing day program while Campbell appears to have picked up eleven drives.

In other Sunday news at Bangor Raceway, drivers Drew Cambell, Andy Harrington, and Kevin Switzer, Jr each recorded driving doubles on the matinee card while trainers Valerie Grondon, Lisa Watson, and Sara Harrington all doubled up on the conditioners side.

Maine Sire Stakes action returns to Bangor Raceway on Wednesday (July 17) as the two-year-old colt pacers take center stage in twin splits, appearing in races three and five for purses of $16,162 and $16,161 respectively.

Bangor Raceway’s regular summer meet will conclude with Wednesday’s card but live pari-mutuel racing will make a special reappearance at historic Bass Park as the Bangor State Fair conducts a one day fair session on Thursday, July 25. Post time for Thursday’s fair racing will be at 5:00 p.m. (EDT).

For complete information regarding live racing, simulcast wagering, gaming, dining and hotel accommodations at Bangor’s Hollywood Casino and Raceway, please visit the website.

For complete race results, click here: US Trotting results.

by Mike Sweeney, for Bangor Raceway