Cumberland, ME – With the second jewel of the Thoroughbred Triple Crown on tap for Saturday (May 16), Cumberland Raceway will host its own $7,000 Cumberland Preakness with a field of seven going behind the gate in race 10 over a special distance of 10 furlongs.
The 12-race card also carries a special 2:45 p.m. post time to accommodate wagering on all the day’s action from Laurel Park.
Trackman Downeast Dave has pegged Venice Blue Chip as the 5-2 early morning line favorite from post 2 with Walter Case Jr. in the sulky. Trained by Mark Harris for owner Derek Robishaw and Gayle Harris, the 5-year-old daughter of Lather Up won 11 of 44 races last year, but is still searching for her seasonal trip to victory lane. The fillies and mares pacing event will be contested at a 1-1/4 mile distance.
The second and third choices in the Cumberland Preakness are Hungry Lady (3-1, Wally Watson) from post 6, and Holymotherofmoses (7-2, Dave Ingraham) from post 4. Both mares are coming off of victories in their respective last starts in optional $4,000 claimers.
The co-feature of the afternoon is the $7,000 Winners Over Pace in race 8, pitting Vel Trust In Time (5-2, Aaron Hall), who is saddled with the outermost post seven, against former Maine Sire Stakes star So Rock N’ Roll (3-1, Heath Campbell) from post 6.
On Saturday, the exotic wagering action starts with a Pick-5 in the opener, then the Pick-4 is set for the last four races on the program (races 9-12). The Pick-3 begins in race 10, and all boast a low 16% takeout. In addition, the 20-cent Superfecta is available in races 4, 6 and 8 along with a Pentafecta in races 5 and the finale (race 12). Doors will open at noon for the special Preakness day program.
Of course, First Tracks Cumberland will hold its regular Friday (May 15) card at the usual 12:15 p.m. post time, with nine races on that program.
First Tracks Cumberland continues to host their Friday-Saturday racing schedule through the month of May. When we flip the calendar to June and the official start of summer, the schedule reverts back to Saturday-Sunday cards for the remainder of the meet.
Except for special occasions, first post is generally 12:15 pm (EDT) during the extended pari-mutuel meeting, which runs through August 2.
A complete calendar and additional information can be viewed by visiting our website:
https://firsttrackscumberland.com/racing-info/.