Cumberland, ME — First Tracks Cumberland hosts four $16,000-plus divisions of the Maine Sire Stakes on Friday (June 21), when the southern oval begins a stretch of 30 races over the weekend.

The action starts Friday with a single non-betting race at 2:45 p.m. for Maine-sired 3-year-old male trotters. Then, the 13-race pari-mutuel card opens with the $16,208 3-year-old filly trot, led by last year’s frosh filly champion, Pembroke Breeze. The Valerie Grondin-trained lass by Pembroke Slugger has been listed as the 6-5 morning-line favorite. Heath Campbell gets the call from post four.

Pembroke Breeze (Heath Campbell) makes her first appearance at Cumberland since winning Maine’s 2-year-old championship last season. Stephanie Gray photo.

Pine Tree State racing continues in races three and four with the Maine Sire Stakes for 3-year-old male pacers, which was rescheduled due to the cancellation of the Wednesday (June 19) Bangor program.

Last week, the fastest of the two divisions of sophomore pacing boys was captured by Gary Hall’s Just Call Me Buck in 1:57.4. The 3-year-old son of Deuce Seelster won his last pair of outings and will be looking to make this race a three-peat performance. Heath Campbell gets the assignment on the 6-5 morning-line favorite.

Second choice What’s For Suppah (3-1, Aaron Hall) will try to crash the party from his outermost post five. Owned and trained by Michelle Hardin, he is also a son of Deuce Seelster and would like to get the lion’s share of the $16,191 purse in race three.

In the $16,416 second division, race four, Ella V Fella got pushed to the outside but was still installed as the 7-5 favorite with Kevin Switzer Jr. driving. The son of Artistic Fella, bred by owner-trainer Marc Tardif, has won all three of his seasonal starts. Looking to upset the apple cart will be Wes’s Challenge (3-1, Walter Case Jr.), another Tardif disciple who has drawn the inside post position for the first time since Labor Day.

Saturday (June 22) brings the Learn and Earn 2-year-old races back with four non-wagering events starting at 1:30 p.m. The regular card begins promptly at 3:15 p.m. with a 12-race program of full fields, including the featured $6,000 top pace in race 11.

A single $5,000 division of the Maine Amateur Driving Club (MADC) rings the bell for the opener on Saturday. The MADC is sponsored by the Blue Seal Feed Stores of North Yarmouth and Windham, Maine.

The First Tracks Cumberland meet continues on Friday and Saturday each weekend during the extended pari-mutuel meeting, which runs through Aug. 3. For additional information, visit firsttrackscumberland.com.