by Mike Sweeney, for Scarborough Downs

Scarborough, ME — The Maine Sire Stakes championship round takes center stage during Festival of Champions Day on Saturday (Oct. 13) at Scarborough Downs, and with more than $600,000 in purse money on the line, this will be the richest day in Maine harness racing history.

Eight Maine Sire Stakes championship races will anchor the 11-race program which is slated to get underway at 1:30 p.m. (EDT) while a festival atmosphere overtakes the historic grandstand at the southern Maine racing venue.

Fans will be welcomed at a special trackside tented pavilion area that has been created specifically for the event. Country Roads, one of Maine’s premier country music bands, will perform in between races, local food trucks will provide tantalizingly delicious food offerings, and a trackside beer garden will be featured.

Local radio station WPOR will be broadcasting live from the Downs throughout the afternoon, registering attendees for a grand prize flyaway trip for two to the CMA Awards Show in Nashville (provided by EMI Records–Nashville). The only place to register for the trip will be at Scarborough Downs on Saturday and the winner will be drawn trackside at 4:30 p.m.

Admission and programs are free on Festival of Champions Day, and fans will also have the opportunity to enter to win a $1,000 cash giveaway.

Face painting and trackside games will delight the kids on Saturday while everyone will enjoy meeting Luigi, the ice cream eating horse, as he joins the festivities in his trackside pen.

“This is the harness racing party they’ll be talking about for years to come,” said Wendy Ireland, president of the Maine Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association. “We wanted to create a festive atmosphere to help showcase these championship races, and with the help of the Downs, I think we’ve come up with the perfect mix.”

Scarborough Downs features live harness racing every Saturday and Sunday at 1:30 p.m. (EDT) through Dec. 9.

For more information, visit www.ScarboroughDowns.com or visit our Facebook page.