Cumberland, ME — In the weekly matchup of Maine’s top trotters on Friday (May 29) at Cumberland Raceway, the up–and-coming Top Down provided a mild upset in the $7,000 winners-over feature.
With last week’s victor, Big Al M, scratched sick and Brutalizer (1-5, Harrington) parked the last half, Mike Stevenson showed that it all comes down to patience and timing.
While Top Down got away fourth and sat chilly through a peppy :28.2 opening panel set by Hunter Lofthus and Ghetto Boy (4-1), early pocket sitter Dusty Lane Darby (9-1, McGwire Sowers) tried popping the deuce to no avail.
With Ghetto Boy leading the pack into the :58.3 half-mile station, Brutalizer didn’t stick around his three-hole position very long. Stevenson and Top Down followed that cover through a 1:28 third stanza, and then tipped three-wide to continue his momentum that was being held up by a hesitant Brutalizer.
Around the final turn, Top Down was trotting in high gear and set his sights on the leader while passing Brutalizer in mid-stretch. At the wire, Stevenson had timed his assault perfectly and prevailed by three parts of a length over the pacesetting Ghetto Boy in 1:59. Brutalizer hung on for third.
Trained and owned by Bob Marston, the 7-year-old son of Archangel lowered his seasonal mark by nearly three seconds and upped his lifetime earnings to $135,857. As the 9-2 third choice, he paid $11.60 to win.
With the Maine Sire Stakes making its seasonal debut at Cumberland in just two short weeks, Marc Tardif’s stable was out in force with a couple of Pine Tree State-bred sophomore pacers. Perhaps intending to just dip their toes in the water, two of the pupils jumped right into the deep end against older horses and came away with seasonal victories under their belts.
Ghost Of Winter, a roan son of Deuce Seelster, took a new 2:00.1 lifetime mark for owner Leighton Property, winning by a neck over Graceofspades, who is a full brother to champion filly Gowestyounggrace. Driven by Aaron Hall to his second lifetime win off a three-wide backside sprint, he returned a whopping $22 to win.
A few hours later, Hall reunited with Tardif to give Rebel’s Revenge a maiden-breaking rout in 1:59.2. Tardif also owns the 3-year-old son of Deuce Seelster, who returned $5.80.
Andy Harrington led all drivers with three wins on the 11-race program. Trainers Sara Harrington and Michelle Lefebvre also enjoyed a pair of winners apiece.
Looking ahead to the following race date, the $7,000 feature on Saturday (May 30) is the winners-over pace in race 8, pitting Jones Hanover (5-2, Kevin Switzer Jr.) against Married Man (2-1, Nick Graffam), who won last week’s contest by a measured half length in a seasonal best 1:55.2.
On Saturday, the exotic wagering action starts with a Pick-5 beginning in the opener, then the Pick-4 is set for the last four races on the program (races 8-11). The Pick-3 begins in race nine, and all boast a low 16% takeout. In addition, 20-cent superfectas are available in races 4, 6 and 8, along with a Pentafecta in race 5 and the finale.
First Tracks Cumberland hosts their final Friday-Saturday racing schedule this weekend. Next month, the schedule reverts back to Saturday-Sunday cards for the remainder of the meet. Except for special occasions, like next week’s Belmont at Saratoga, first post is generally 12:15 p.m. (EDT) during the extended pari-mutuel meeting, which runs through Aug. 2.
A complete calendar and additional information can be viewed by visiting firsttrackscumberland.com.