Top pacers set to fly at Cumberland

CUMBERLAND, ME – Today’s (June 15) ten-race card at Cumberland features a $6,000 Winners Over Pace, carded as race six.  Chris Lefevre’s Airspinder looks for his second win in a row in the top class, scoring from post six with regular pilot Drew Campbell.

Airspinder, a five-year-old gelding by No Spin Zone has won half of his races this season, sporting an impressive seven victories in 14 seasonal starts.  That is a big improvement over last year when he had just one win in 24 tries.

“It’s all because of my blacksmith,” noted Chris Lefebvre, the horse’s trainer.  “Without him he wouldn’t even be a horse!”

Plagued with hoof trouble, owners Michelle Lefebvre and Brian Aaskov acquired the horse in early April.
Conditioner Chris Lefebvre went to work on his feet, “pretty much every day.  He has very little hoof.  We have rebuilt his front feet with fiberglass patches.”

Clearly the efforts have paid off, as the horse has not been off the board since.  But the extra attention has not been without sacrifice.

“My owner wanted me to block your calls!” Lefebvre said with laugh.  “The last time you did a story on this horse he got beat.”

But that’s horse racing and that’s what scribes must do…follow a good lead.

A horse that looks to invade Airspinder’s airspace is Jet Aviation, trained by Benson Merrill and driven by top gun Bruce Ranger, he departs from gate three.  Comfortable on the front end, the 6-year-old Badlands Hanover gelding comes off an afterburner win in 1:55.3 at Bangor.

Both aircrafts are sure to meet some rush-hour traffic in the form of The Bus A who moves into this express lane route from previous pick-ups in Bangor and Plainridge.  Trainer Heidi Gibbs sends the 7-year-old Art Major stud to Cumberland in the capable hands of driver/co-owner Ron Cushing from post two.

Race three enjoys a full field of eight vying for the $4,800 purse in the NW4000pace.  Both Southwind Terror (post six, Nick Graffam) and Rocknrolwilneverdie (post seven, Drew Campbell) are coming off of wins in similar company.  Red Dirt Boomer (post 5, Dan Delandes) drops down a notch in class to make this heat well worth a savvy punters attention.  Adding to the fray is Miss U Big Mike (assigned post eight, Bruce Ranger) who paced in1:52.4 in his last start at Plainridge, and won his previous start at Bangor in1:55.3 for the current connections.

Live harness racing from Cumberland is presented each Tuesday and Saturday through early August, post time is 2:30 pm.  For more information go to our website: firsttrackscumberland.com

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by Chris Tully, for First Tracks Cumberland