by Mike Sweeney, for Scarborough Downs

Scarborough, ME — A competitive 10-race program will herald the dawn of the 2013 meeting at Scarborough Downs on Saturday (March 30), featuring a balanced blend of tough as nails claimers, up-and-coming youngsters, classy conditioned foes and anchored by a stellar grouping of Free For All pacers. The action kicks off promptly at 4 p.m. (EDT) when the gates will be thrown open once again to welcome the faithful while the “Call to Post” will sound over the seaside oval for the 63rd consecutive season.

Included in the returning cast of characters this season will be driver Shawn Thayer, the defending 2012 dash champion, whose name was prominently peppered across the inaugural overnight sheet. He will be joined on the raceway by perennial powerhouse performers such as the brothers Drew and Heath Campbell, while adding to the veteran presence will be pilots Gary Mosher, Ron Cushing and Chris Long.

Continuing in Maine’s long, proud legacy of developing up-and-coming driving talent, the elder vanguard will be joined by an outstanding class of “young guns” this year with guys like Dan Deslandes, Steve Nason, Ryan Hall and Mike Kravchak ready to show no quarter and certain to be dogging the old-timers around the oval all season long.

Derek Davis photo

Wholly Louy and driver Gary Mosher will race in Saturday’s Free For All.

Divisional track record holder Wholly Louy has been installed as the 8-5 morning line favorite in the $5,500 Free For All event on Saturday with Gary Mosher occupying his customary seat behind the classy 9-year-old son of Camluck. A resume of 14 wins last season earned Wholly Louy Pacer of the Year honors at Scarborough and an effortless prep mile last weekend served notice to his would be vanquishers that the champ is chomping at the bit to defend his title in 2013. Scoring from post four, a win on Saturday would propel the venerable one over the $900,000 level in career earnings.

A relative newcomer to Maine’s Free For All scene, Real Special joined the elite roster of talented trainer Steven Vafiades in late November of last season and quickly established dominance over the creme de la creme in the Pine Tree State with back-to-back top class wins at Scarborough Downs. Still undefeated on the local scene, the 5-year-old son of Real Desire will score from post three on Saturday with Drew Campbell calling the shots from the sulky.

Randy Bickmore, top trainer at the Downs, brings stable star Johnny Z back to the home track on Saturday following a successful metropolitan winter campaign at Yonkers and the Meadowlands where the son of The Pandarosa recently crossed over the $400,000 lifetime earnings plateau. Shawn Thayer will call the shots as the third choice (4-1) on the morning line after having been assigned the outside post in this compact five horse grouping.

Here is the complete field for Saturday’s Free For All, which is slated for race nine with an approximate post of 6:30 p.m.

Post-Horse-Driver-Morning Line
1-Haverford Hanover-Justin Mahar-9-1
2-Mr Nice Guy-Kim Ireland-5-1
3-Real Special-Drew Campbell-3-1
4-Wholly Louy-Gary Mosher-8-5
5-Johnny Z-Shawn Thayer-4-1

Live harness racing resumes at Scarborough Downs on Sunday at 1:05 p.m. Fridays (4 p.m. post) are added to the schedule next weekend.