by Michael Sweeney, for Scarborough Downs

Scarborough, ME — The state of Maine invitational season begins this weekend as Scarborough Downs proudly presents the richest of the 2009 invites with five top pacers vying for their share of the $25,000 purse in the Mid Summer Classic on Saturday (July 11) afternoon.

Top owner Scott Dillon will look to secure back-to-back Mid Summer Classic titles as he replaces last year’s champion, Ideal Conditions, with a brand new face from his impressive roster of Standardbreds. On A Tear, a 6-year-old son of Bettor’s Delight, will truck in fresh off an impressive 1:52.4 jaunt around the Yonkers Raceway oval and has been installed as the 7-5 morning line favorite with Shawn Gray named to drive for local trainer Joseph Nelson.

The Awful Truth joins his fellow New York competitor in the trek up highway I-95 this weekend as the Heidi Rohr Stable returns to their former home base to join in support of Scarborough’s major pacing invitational. The Awful Truth has been made the narrow second choice by the morning line maker at 2-1 odds. The 4-year-old Western Hanover gelding will be handled by the familiar hands of Maine’s top teamster Drew Campbell, who last season piloted this charge to a 1:55.1 victory in the Big O Invitational at the Oxford County (Maine) Fairgrounds.

Certainly no stranger to the Scarborough Downs winner’s circle, Mr Nice Guy will champion the cause of the local contingent. The trainer/driver tandem of Wendy and Kim Ireland send their highly regarded entry to battle on Saturday fresh off a convincing 1:56 jiggy-jog over the local oval — a course over which the 4-year-old has already paraded victorious five times this season.

The Perfect Escape (Heath Campbell) will join Lindy’s Bandit (Mark Athearn) to complete the Mid Summer Classic field.

A lightning fast racetrack along with predicted warm temperatures might well conspire to produce an exceptional speed show on Saturday with Hotrod Falcon’s (Walter Case, Jr.) track record of 1:52.4 perhaps in serious jeopardy for the very first time since it was established back in 1993.

A strong undercard will be anchored by twin $10,111 splits of Maine Sire Stakes races as the 2009 2-year-old season gets underway in Maine.

Scarborough Downs features live harness racing every Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 4:30 p.m. (EDT). The popular Sunday matinees feature a 1:30 p.m. post time.