Cumberland, ME — Pine Tree State-bred and sired trotters will make their final appearance at Cumberland on Saturday (Aug. 5) before the series starts its summer-long tour of Maine’s pari-mutuel fair circuit.

All four divisions of trotting races worth nearly $60,000 will be held, with three of the heats on the betting program.

The Maine Sire Stakes compliments a blockbuster program on closing day of the First Tracks Cumberland Spring-Summer meet, where $115,000 in overnight purses is up for grabs, along with a Hambletonian hat giveaway and wagering on the $1 million Hambletonian from The Meadowlands.

My Saving Grace will look to make it four in a row. Stephanie Gray photo.

The first race on the card is the $14,367 2-year-old filly trot, where My Saving Grace will look to make it four in a row. Trained by Gretchen Athearn and driven by husband Mark, the young daughter of Shake It Off Lindy is off to a dynamite start, earning $23,487 thus far this season. Sure to be giving chase is Pembroke Breeze (Heath Campbell-Valerie Grondin) who has been at her heels in their last two outings.

Sophomore filly trotters emerge in the $14,727 third race, and are led by Ivan Davies’ Wild Ending. Fresh off a decisive victory in her last start, the daughter of Boy Band is looking for her third stakes win of the year. Marc Tardif’s Another Adventure is trying to get her first win in 2023 and would love to play the role of upsetter with Kevin Switzer Jr. aboard.

The colts hit the track in race five, going for $15,166, which will be a test of wills between Wabanaki (7-5, Davies) and Outlawofthevalley (5-2, Switzer Jr.-Tardif). The pair have traded blows and victories the last two outings and this match-up could come down to racing tactics and sheer grit in the seven-horse dash.

Prior to the regular card at 1:45 p.m., three freshman colts will battle for a purse of $14,146. Valerie Grondin trains and drives Chipper Dale, who has won his last two affairs at Bangor.

Next week the Maine Sire Stakes program transitions to the fair circuit with racing at Topsham beginning Aug. 7. The third week in August brings the monsters of the midway up to Skowhegan for another full week of Maine harness racing.

For more information about the Maine Sire Stakes, follow their Facebook page @MaineBreedersAssociation, or go to their website at www.mainesirestakes.com.