Turning up the heat at Cumberland

CUMBERLAND, ME – With record high temperatures around the Northeast and the Atlantic coast forecast this weekend, Friday and Saturday harness racing at Cumberland is also expected to heat up accordingly.  Wagering on the Preakness Stakes will also be available.

Friday’s featured $6,000 Open II Trot at Cumberland includes several overachievers that will look to maintain their relative success, or at least prevent their rivals from doing the same.

Warrawee Preferred (post 5, Matt Athearn) found some redemption last week and now has won three of his last four against this bunch.  While his efforts are on the upswing, a couple of Plainridge invaders will look to steal some of that thunder.

Kyrie Deo (post 2, Mark Athearn) won his last start at Cumberland six weeks ago on opening day but has only garnered a fifth-place check down south since that time.  Having earned $64,587 last year, he has some catching up to do.  Just outside him is Northern Skyway (post 3, Nick Graffam), who made $122,280 last season and wants to grab some stardom of his own.

Of course Little Macabee (post 1, Aaron Hall) and Broadway Giant (post 4, Bruce Ranger) have also been playing in the same sandbox and garnering their own respectable share of the prizes.  This should be an interesting race, which is carded as number nine on the ten race program, and is the start of the late double as well as the middle of the Pick-3.

Trots and paces are equally divided at five on the Friday card, with Saturday’s program being all-pace, all-day.

The featured $4,800 cond. pace on the Preakness Day card shows Readyfortheladys (post 6, Aaron Hall) looking to get off the schneid with a string of three bridesmaid finishes.  Moving up in class off of two consecutive victories is The Shining (post 4, Drew Campbell), who looks to keep his winning streak alive.  Supreme Mach N (post 2, Bruce Ranger) is also fresh off a victory in a comparable lower class.  Race six carries the 20 cent Superfecta, and is part of the Pick-6 (races 3-8).

Racing fans and bettors will be able to watch and wager on this Saturday’s Preakness Stakes, the 147^th renewal of the middle jewel of the Triple Crown from Pimlico Race Course.

Full Preakness Day programs will be available and betting windows will be open for the first post at 10:30 am, which will be broadcast live from the Maryland Jockey Club in Baltimore, Maryland.  There will be TV monitors covering all the Thoroughbred action, and the Trackside Pub concession stand will also be open in the Fairgrounds grandstand.

Post time for the Spring/Summer meet is now 4 p.m. on both Fridays and Saturdays, with the extended pari-mutuel meeting racing each weekend through July 23.

The final race on both Friday and Saturday features our 20 cent Hi-Five (Pentafecta), with a low takeout of 16%.

More information can be found on our website here and on our Facebook page: First Tracks Cumberland.

For full Friday entries, click here.

For full Saturday entries, click here.

by Chris Tully, for First Tracks Cumberland