Campbell hat trick cements top tier status

CUMBERLAND, ME – Maritime-native Heath Campbell scored a hat trick on Monday (Sept. 22) at the Cumberland (ME) Fair, further securing his position in the top tier of the talented Downeast harness racing drivers colony.

Campbell began his troika in the fifth race with the Valerie Grondin owned, trained and bred Pembroke Junebug in a $5,000 (div.) Merry Go Round Pop Up Series pacing event.  Scoring from post four he moved the 7-year-old daughter of Western Maverick first over at the 1:00.2 half, and continued his trek forward while parked to the third station in 1:29.1.

PEMBROKE JUNEBUG REPLAY

Once on top Campbell and his charge opened up five lengths on the rest of the field in an instant, charging home by an equally comfortable margin in 1:59.

For Pembroke Junebug, it was her fourth win of the season, and 16^th lifetime, putting her career earnings at $105,025.  She returned $3.80.

Virtual Success (Aaron Hall) finished second; Kak’s Rev It Up (John Nason) was third.

Campbell came right back in the sixth race to score with Chad Tompkins’ Valyrian Steel in a 2:01.1 wire-to-wire effort.  Taking the $5,000 Tilt-A-Whirl Trot, the 6-year-old son of Chapter Seven paid $2.20 as the heavy favorite.

Storm Bringer (Hall) finished second; Midnight Zette (Tim Hudson) was third.

Closing out his three-peat in the eighth, Campbell sent To My Credit to another pillar-to-post romp.  Leaving from post six, the talented reinsman fed the 5-year-old son of Credit Winner plenty of racetrack and took command before the opening panel.  Storming home by 2-1/4 lengths for trainer Allison MacDonald and owner T C B Racing, it was To My Credit’s third win of the season, returning $3.20 in the overnight trot.

J S Peyton (Benson Merrill) finished second; Gemstone Pillar (McGwire Sowers) was third.

Driver Wally Watson picked up a driving double on the afternoon program.

Racing resumes at the Cumberland Fairgrounds on Tuesday (Sept. 23) with full cards scheduled for the remaining racing dates through Sunday (Sept. 28).

Post time is slated for 1 p.m. for the Tuesday through Thursday (Sept. 23-25) programs, and drops backs to 12:00 noon for the remaining weekend dates of Friday through Sunday (Sept. 26-28).

Exotic wagers start with Cumberland’s Pick 5 in the third race, and continues with our Pick 4 and Pick 3 toward the tail end of the program, and concludes with our High-Five Pentafecta in the final race—all with low 16% takeouts.

Always a highlight of the ‘Always in September’ Fair, the Maine Sire Stakes continue at Cumberland with 3-year-old filly pacers on Wednesday (Sept. 24), and then roll into the 3-year-old male pacers on Thursday (Sept. 25), with the 3-year-old trotters completing the sophomore divisions on Friday (Sept. 26).

Once again, Cumberland will host the $300,000 Est. Maine Sire Stakes 2-year-old finals on Saturday, September 27, with two freshmen pacers, Massive Speed and Snowonthepines, putting their unblemished records on the line in their respective showdowns.

First Tracks will also host the popular Cumberland Derby where fans can enter to win $500 in total cash prizes based on their picks and the official order of finish in the designated race.

After the fair, the track’s 18-day Winter Festival begins November 2 and then follows a two-day Saturday-Sunday schedule throughout the month of November.  The month of December picks up Fridays for 3-day weekends of racing through December 21.  Our annual Au Revoir Retirement Ceremonies are slated for Dec. 20.

For additional information, visit our website at firsttrackscumberland.com, or find us on social media at First Tracks Cumberland | Cumberland Center ME

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

by Chris Tully, for First Tracks Cumberland