Cumberland, ME — Motto, a 5-year-old gelding by Creatine, has spent most of his racing career battling the better trotters in the Buckeye State.

Unraced at 2, Motto earned $139,096 at 3, primarily in the Ohio Sire Stakes, but also in overnights from the Midwest to the Mid-Atlantic. Last year at 4 he did not return to the form he had displayed 3 and earned just $18,210 in 15 starts. However, this year at five he has been a model of consistency where he had a win and four second-place finishes in his last six starts at Miami Valley. His seasonal total of $41,040 was impressive enough to attract the attention of outside interests.

Motto has spent most of his racing career battling the better trotters in the Buckeye State. Conrad photo.

In late-March he was purchased by Derek Robishaw and Gayle Harris of Maine and landed in New England in the Mark Harris stable. For his first start in the Bay State he picked up a show finish at 15-1 for driver Bruce Ranger.

Friday (April 26) he scores from post seven in the $6,000 featured trot at Cumberland. Installed as the 3-1 early morning line second choice, with Ranger driving again, he enters the race with twice as much money earned this season than several of his colleagues.

We have to go back several years to 2022 to find the last time Motto raced on a half-mile track, which was at the famed home of the Little Brown Jug, Delaware, Ohio, where he finished third in a division of the Ohio Breeders Championship to multiple stakes winner Rose Run Xtra in 1:55.

Interestingly enough, the 5-2 favorite J S Peyton leaves from the pylon position with Dan Deslandes who picked that horse over stablemate and last week’s winner Elegant Dulupin FR who drew post eight.

Friday’s card carries 11 races while Saturday (April 27) has an even dozen, which includes the third leg of the Maine Amateur Driving Club. Going postward as race three, the 5-2 favorite is Furious Beach with owner-driver Michael Girouard leaving from post five.

The $5,000 event is faithfully sponsored by the helpful folks at Blue Seal Feed Stores of North Yarmouth and Windham, Maine.

The $6,000 featured pace (race eight) sees Runrunjimmydunn N as the early 9-5 favorite with Kevin Switzer Jr. aboard from post three. Railbird PBR Street Gang (Nick Graffam) is the second choice, listed at 2-1.

Every race, all weekend long, has a 50-cent trifecta, and the card also carries a host of 20-cent superfectas, a 50-cent Pick-4 and the final race delivers our 20-cent pentafecta (Super High Five) with a low 16 percent takeout.

Post time for both days is set for 3:15 p.m.

Looking ahead to next week, the public can watch and wager on the 150th renewal of the Run for the Roses from Churchill Downs. The highly anticipated Kentucky Derby is next Saturday (May 4), with programs, big screen television viewing and betting all available at the Fairgrounds, provided by First Tracks Cumberland. In addition, a new and improved snack bar has opened on the premises in an effort to give fans a hearty selection of food and drink options.

First Tracks Cumberland’s Spring/Summer meet will continue with regular racing on Friday and Saturday each weekend during the extended pari-mutuel meeting, which runs through Aug. 3. For additional information, visit our website at firsttrackscumberland.com.