Cumberland, ME — While George Fenno III recognizes that with Instant Replay’s recent success comes some added attention, he is quick to point out that the horse does all the work.

“I’m just along for the ride,” Fenno stated emphatically after his horse Instant Replay had just won his last two starts. “He does all the work. I just point him in the right direction.”

Drawing post three in the $6,000 pacing feature on Saturday (June 1) at Cumberland Raceway, the horse is listed at 5-1 on the TrackMaster morning line. Considering that he won his last two starts with two different drivers, one could opine that he would be the favorite, but he has drawn in with some tougher company.

Instant Replay seeks a third consecutive win in the Pine Tree State in Saturday’s pacing feature at Cumberland. Joe Shaw photo.

The 3-1 favorite is Rocksapatriot (post 2), a former Cumberland track record holder and veteran pacer with just shy of a quarter-million dollars in earnings. Trained by Kelly Case, he gets the services of Dave Ingraham, the driver who piloted Instant Replay to victory last week. Other contenders are Keystone Phoenix (Walter Case Jr.) and Lexus Witha View A (Kevin Switzer Jr.).

But that doesn’t discourage Fenno, who puts his horse’s needs at the top of his to-do list every week.

In between starts, the horse jogs, grazes in the lush New England pasture, and sometimes gets a blowout mile. This week, he got some new shoes, courtesy of blacksmith Joey Mosher. All the while, Fenno doesn’t mind dreaming of a rerun of the horse’s last two episodes.

“Replay’s wins have inspired my girlfriend, Marianne Audley, to fly up here from Florida to catch his next start. And even though I keep getting the ‘white pants shuffle,’ the horse is in good hands this week with Mike Stevenson.”

Instant Replay, a 4-year-old son of Lazarus N that is currently undefeated this season, ‘always has his ears up,’ according to Fenno. Unraced at 2, and with just 22 lifetime starts and eight wins, not even his owner-trainer knows where his progress will lead.

“I’ve never seen him as sharp as he is today,” noted Fenno. “We just hope that his spirit remains high and that he continues to bring us such joy.”

The weekend’s racing at Cumberland starts Friday (May 31) with an 11-race card, featuring the $5,500 top trot in the opener. The live action continues on Saturday (June 1).

The First Tracks Cumberland meet continues through Aug. 3 with racing on Friday and Saturday each weekend. Post time is always 3:15 p.m.