Cumberland, ME – Big Al M rolled to a wire-to-wire triumph on Saturday (Nov. 15) at Cumberland Raceway, snapping a month-long drought in the featured $5,500 conditioned trot.
Leading reinsman Kevin Switzer Jr. put the 1-9 heavy favorite right on the engine and led the field to a :29.2 opening panel, with Brutalizer (4-1) and Andy Harrington sitting in a tight pocket.
As the group hit the half in 1:00.3, the outer flow began with Steve Wilson tipping Inquiring Mind, followed by Cain MacKenzie and Valyrian Steel who were gapping their second-over cover.
With the competitors advancing, Switzer Jr. tapped the accelerator down the backstretch and hit the third stanza in 1:29.3, which gave Brutalizer some daylight and allowed Harrington to muscle his way out around the final turn and begin a battle down to the wire.
Big Al M continued to hold sway over the challengers, as the 7-year-old son of Anders Bluestone maintained his momentum and prevailed by three parts of a length in 1:59.4. Owned and trained by Zach Vickerson, it was his ninth win of the season and 31st of his career. Returning $2.20, he increased his lifetime bankroll to $520,705.
Brutalizer finished second; Valyrian Steel got up for third.
Driver Kevin Switzer Jr. enjoyed four wins on the program, and Andy Harrington, Dave Ingraham and Mike Stevenson each grabbed a pair.
Veteran teamster ‘Double-digit Dave’ Ingraham is quickly approaching a milestone of 8,000 career victories, and now sits at 7,996. When racing resumes on Sunday (Nov. 16) at First Tracks Cumberland with a 13-race card, Ingraham is programmed with 10 drives. Driving harness horses since 1980, the 63-year-old has 69 wins this year with earnings of $584,740. Over his 45-year career he has driven the winners of over $32 million and enjoyed a dozen seasons with a million or more in earnings. His statistical best year was 1995 where the Maine-native won 403 races and $2.7 million in purses.
The Pick-5 starts with the third race; our Pick-4 highlights the 10th, and our High-Five Pentafecta in the finale—all with low 16% takeouts.
Our Winter Festival extended pari-mutuel meeting enjoys weekend action throughout the month of November. Cumberland Raceway will transition to three days of harness racing each week (Fri-Sat-Sun) beginning Dec. 5. The 18-day meet runs until Dec. 21, 2025.
For more information go to our website: https://firsttrackscumberland.com/
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