Bangor, ME — Maine’s northern harness racing circuit shifts into high gear on Wednesday (May 1) when Bangor Raceway’s historic Bass Park opens its gates for the 141st consecutive season with post time slated for 3 p.m. (EDT).

An eight-race program will welcome the faithful back to the fences as an outstanding array of horsemen and women begin to fill the backstretch stabling areas at Bangor. Their offerings are augmented by substantial rosters filled with both new and familiar faces at the statewide training centers creating a kinetic mix which promises to provide one of the most exciting harness racing seasons in recent memory.

“By all accounts, the horse population in Maine has continued its upward trajectory this spring with stables struggling to find room to house new arrivals who are anxious to join the local scene,” said Bangor’s Live Racing Manager, Michael Hopkins. “While we didn’t enjoy the full effect of this reality for our opening day card, we fully expect that this year’s 10 percent increase to our purse structure coupled with a broad-range approach to crafting conditions should result in full fields and competitive cards in very short order.”

Caden Deslandes jogs Chocolate Biskit during morning exercise time at Bangor Raceway. Kori Deslandes photo.

Wednesday’s compact card, stacked with intriguing propositions, is headed by the return of top teamster Dan Deslandes, who has earned leading driving honors in each of the past three seasons at Bangor. Combined with his father, Jeffrey Deslandes, last season’s leading trainer at Bangor, the combo make up the imposing juggernaut of ‘The Deslandes Clan’ which has now been augmented by its latest active member, Dan’s teenage son Caden, who has recently signed on for morning jogging duties.

The terrific trio will send two entries postward on Wednesday including SG Alexia, the 7-5 morning line favorite in the fifth. The 6-year-old daughter of Betterthancheddar who was a 15-time winner last season, appears handily spotted here as she makes a lateral move back to her home track off a forwardly placed score at First Tracks Cumberland last week.

Her chief rival may well be the venerable Western Stepp who is making her sixth start of the season from the extreme inside perch while picking up the services of driver Walter Case Jr. in what is his only listed appearance on Bangor’s opening day program. The 11-year-old Maine bred daughter of Western Maverick is angling for her 60th career victory lap.

The perennial powerhouse team of trainer Valerie Grondin and driver Heath Campbell will be out in full force on Wednesday as they send a triad to the track including Pembroke Junebug in race five, who may hold value at 6-1 on the morning line off a steady prep and after closing out 2023 on a three-race win streak; Paxton in the sixth, who measured the wire in a recent prep but may have his hands full with It’s Above Me Now (Shawn Thayer) who drops in class off a two race win streak at First Tracks Cumberland; and Bandolito Blaze in race seven, who will be making his first start since his runner-up placing in the $81,079 Maine Sire Stakes final in October 2022.

Live harness racing will be proudly featured at Bangor Raceway throughout the summer season, every Wednesday afternoon at 3 p.m. (EDT) with the Sunday morning matinees going to post bright and early at 11 a.m. Simulcast wagering is available daily in the grandstand facility, including Kentucky Derby pre-wagering beginning on May 2 and culminating in the whole card simulcast of the Kentucky Derby program on May 4.

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.