Bangor, ME – Mansome looked every bit the part while making his seasonal debut at Bangor Raceway on Sunday as driver Ron Cushing confidently campaigned his charge, with push-button accuracy, fresh off a pair of encouraging qualifiers at Monticello and Pocono.
Assigned the outside post against a sharp and recently battle-tested field, Cushing floated Mansome off the car, eventually settling third along the pegs behind the insistent early speed of JK Objection (driven by Heath Campbell) and the grateful pocket-tripping Cool Man Dude (Aaron Hall).
Charging to the quarter in a respectable :28.1, Campbell gradually pumped his coaster brakes in an attempt to dull the tempo, only to be thwarted in that maneuver as Cushing popped off the pylons at the three-eighths pole to engage the pacesetter at a :57.4 half.
Matching both strides and wills in what would develop into a :56.4 back-half, Mansome made steady progress toward JK Objection throughout the second-circuit, vaulting to a strong lead before entering the final turn and then cruising down the lane to a breezy 1-1/4-length margin at the wire, timed in 1:54.3.
P L Pasquale (Kevin Switzer, Jr) tripped out second-over behind Mansome to rally for place while Cool Man Dude escaped the pocket in time to secure the show.
Trained by Heidi Cushing for owner Bruce Weinstein, Mansome, who was inexplicably dismissed at 13-1 odds, returned $29.20 to win while registering the fastest mile recorded yet this season at Bangor Raceway.
The win also represented the 40th career victory for the 11-year-old son of Somebeachsomewhere.
As the record-setting 2026 summer harness meet at Bangor Raceway enters its closing week, racing will resume on Wednesday (July 15) with a 10-race pari-mutuel card going to post at 3 p.m. (EDT) and preceded by two non-wagering Maine Sire Stakes events beginning at 2:30 p.m. Closing day of the summer meet will be on Sunday (July 19) with post time slated for 12:10 p.m.
Racing will return to historic Bass Park during the Bangor State Fair, with evening cards planned for Thursday, July 30, and Wednesday, Aug. 5, with post time to be set at 6 p.m.
For those not able to come to the track, wagering and live video for Bangor Raceway, as well as hundreds of harness and Thoroughbred racetracks across the world, is available on Hollywood Races at www.hollywoodraces.com.
For complete information regarding live racing, simulcast wagering, gaming, dining, and hotel accommodations at Bangor’s Hollywood Casino and Raceway, please visit the website at www.hollywoodcasinobangor.com.