Cumberland, ME — The first harness races in the state of Maine for 2022 started off with a bang as open trotter Northern Skyway won the opener on Friday (April 8) as the First Tracks Cumberland Spring/Summer meet got underway.

Northern Skyway took the opener on Cumberland’s season opener Friday. Stephanie Gray photo.

Driver Nick Graffam settled Northern Skyway into third position from post four as Swan Fine Lady (Ron Cushing) and Sortie Hanover (Kevin Switzer Jr.) tussled for control of the tempo in the first race, a $6,500 Open I Trot at the iconic Cumberland Fairgrounds.

Mild favorite Swan Fine Lady continued to show the way through fractions of :28.4 and 1:00.2. When the field moved down the backside for the final time, Graffam tipped Northern Skyway and continued wearing down the leaders into a 1:30 third quarter and prevailed by three-quarters of a length at the wire in 2:00.2, with a :29.4 last quarter. Swan Fine Lady finished second, with Vesuvio Bi (Bruce Ranger) getting up for the show dough.

Trained by Jim Dunn for owners Tony Loiko and Brad Veilleux, the 7-year-old son of Guccio earned his 33rd career victory in the triumph, a third of which he picked up last season. Northern Skyway paid $8.60 to win.

Conditioner Dunn picked up a total of two wins on the program.

A mild upset marked the $6,000 Open II Trot on the card, as Kevin Switzer Jr. boldly steered Little Macabee to victory in race five, paying $21.60 to win.

Graffam and Thruway left hard against Andy Harrington and Tough Mac and ultimately gained control after a stinging :28.4 first quarter. The race positions were relatively unchanged through 1:00.4 and 1:30.4 stanzas when Swizter Jr. was forced to take Little Macabee three wide around the final turn. With more trot left in the tank than the tiring leaders, the 8-year-old son of Chapter Seven showed his back class and prevailed by 1-1/4 lengths. Wagering favorite Storm Bringer (Aaron Hall) finished a valiant second after he was also forced to come from off the pace to catch the fatiguing frontrunners. Thruway hung on to be third.

Trained by Eric Bickmore for owner Maryann Tompkins, it was Little Macabee’s 27th career victory, and third win in his last four outings at Cumberland.

Bickmore enjoyed two trips to the Blue Seal Feeds Winner’s Circle on Friday’s card.

Bruce Ranger, Wally Watson and Dan Deslandes all enjoyed driving doubles on the inaugural program. Trainer Chris Lefebvre earned checks with all four of his entries, winning three.

In an amazing display of horsemanship in race seven, veteran driver John Beckwith was unseated when French Moni went off-stride in the first turn and made contact with a light pole. Beckwith, however, miraculously maintained control of the lines and was able to gather up the 8-year-old son of Love You and move him to the outside before the field made it to the three-eighths pole. Unhurt and unfazed, neither the horse nor the driver were any worse for the wear, and will return to race another day.

First Tracks Cumberland’s opening weekend marks the first Standardbred racing dates of the year in the state of Maine, which continues on Saturday (April 9) with another 12-race card.

Post time for the Spring/Summer meet is set for 3 p.m. on both Fridays and Saturdays, with the extended pari-mutuel meeting racing each weekend through July 23.

Next week features the first legs of our ‘Kick-Off’ Late Closing Series for pacers, with the top class going for a $12,000 final the following week. See the condition sheet on the USTA online entry system, or our website, for more details.

More information can be found on our website at firsttrackscumberland.com and on our Facebook page: First Tracks Cumberland.