Bangor, ME – The players came out to play at Bangor Raceway on Wednesday (July 1) as an all-time record handle of $246,172 was pushed over the counters at historic Bass Park while driver Aaron Hall and trainer Jamie Gerard teamed up to score a rare double grand slam combination over the course of the well-received 12-race program.
The record $246,172 handle heralded the 20th consecutive $100,000-plus handle day recorded at Bangor Raceway this season and vastly eclipsed May 3rd’s then high water mark of $187,609.
“It was a good day today,” remarked Bangor’s Director of Racing Thomas Smith. “It’s gratifying to find that the wagering public has discovered and continues to support the harness racing product at Bangor Raceway.
“Full, competitive fields combined with state-of-the-art simulcast production, strategic post times, ample publicity, and a supportive and talented horseman/horsewoman population have combined to allow Bangor Raceway to provide this attractive experience to the wagering public. We appreciate their vote of approval and pledge to continue to work diligently to keep and build upon their support.”
On the racing side of the hub rail on Wednesday, the fans witnessed an outstanding team effort from driver Aaron Hall, who piloted four winners home from trainer Jamie Gerard’s well-conditioned roster.
The Hall/Gerard juggernaut included scores by Quan Blue Chip (1:58.3, $6), who fiercely fought his way through a :58.1 back-half to secure the thrilling first-over victory; Twin B High Tech (1:59, $3.20), who soared gate-to-wire to claim his seventh seasonal win; Echos Sharkie (1:56.4, $5.00), who took a bite out of the competition while prowling the front-end and sinking his teeth into his fifth win of the year; and Polyester (1:56.4, $3.80), who proved the genuine deal despite his synthetic fiber name, catching the breezes on the point to claim a seasonal best clocking.
Hall’s four wins elevated him into a first-place tie with Heath Campbell atop the Bangor Raceway leaderboard with both teamsters boasting 36 local wins. Hall, who recently secured the 1,000th driving win of his career also sports a gaudy .397 UDRS while leading all Bangor pilots in seasonal purse earnings with $171,375 banked.
Gerard, who cracked Bangor’s top 10 leaderboard listing on Wednesday, impressively sports a hefty .641 UTRS, while his charges have now hit-the-board in 19 of 22 starts.
Live harness racing at Bangor Raceway during the month of July will be conducted on a two-day-per-week schedule, featuring the return of the popular Sunday matinees with the early 12:10 p.m. (EDT) post time. The Wednesday cards will go to post at 3 p.m.
For those not able to come to the track, wagering and live video for Bangor Raceway, as well as hundreds of harness and thoroughbred racetracks across the world, is available on Hollywood Races at www.hollywoodraces.com.
For complete information regarding live racing, simulcast wagering, gaming, dining, and hotel accommodations at Bangor’s Hollywood Casino and Raceway, please visit the website at www.hollywoodcasinobangor.com.