Bangor Raceway to present special promotions for fans

With less than three weeks remaining in Bangor Raceway’s extended harness meet, several fan promotions are being offered, something for every harnes racing fan.

From a Hackney pony exhibition to a Shrine parade, a Harness Horse Youth Foundation Camp, the Maine Sire Stakes or a CanAm Challenge, they are scheduled before the extended meet closes July 25.

On Sunday, July 11, Hackney show ponies, half the size of a Standardbred race horse, will trot at Bangor Raceway’s half-mile oval. Top-class Hackney ponies will perform in roadster, pleasure and trot, an exhibition geared by the raceway as family entertainment. Members of the American Hackney Horse Society from Maine will demonstrate the versatility, grace and beauty of the miniature performers.

Some of New England’s best Hackneys, noted for their high-stepping action, will parade in front of the Bass Park grandstand at 1 p.m. prior to Bangor’s 10-race harness racing program, according to Harold Billings of Tremont, president of the Down East Harness Horsemen’s Association. Billings and his wife, Brenda, are owners of Hackney ponies and promoters of the special event.

On Friday night’s 10-dash racing card, the final of The Kennebec Pacing Series will be contested for a $1,625 purse. Seven 4-year-old pacers and one 3-year-old colt make up the quick, young pacing field. Odds-on favorites to battle the entire mile are First Reader and Leigh Fitch, winner of the event two weeks ago in 2:00.2 and second-place finisher last week.

He will be challenged every step of the mile by Memory Of Class and Frank Hall Jr., winner of last week’s leg in 2:00.4. Also include Borderview and Gary Hall in your trifecta. Borderview had a horrible trip last week, finishing seventh (off 18 lengths) but was second the week before in 2:00.3, even with broken equipment from the three-quarter-mile pole through the stretch. But don’t think that Steve Mahar with Nite Smog is going to give Fitch anything or let him outfox him.

Saturday and Sunday, Bangor Raceway will field 10 dashes. Sunday’s program will include a select pacing field going against Armbro Foxy, who set a track record of 1:56 on June 16. Post times are 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 1:30 p.m. Sunday.

COUNTY RACEWAY will race out its fourth program tonight with eight dashes scheduled to head to post at 7:30 p.m.

THE MAINE STANDARDBRED BREEDERS STAKES open their summer series this week at Scarborough Downs. Next week, the 2- and 3-year-old Stakes colts and fillies move to Bangor Raceway. The 2-year-old colt and filly pacing events are scheduled on Wednesday, July 14. The 2- and 3-year-old trotters are scheduled in on Friday, June 16, and the 3-year-old colt and filly pacers step into competition on Sunday, July 18.

CONNELL PARK IN WOODSTOCK, New Brunswick, just across the Canadian border about 20 minutes from Houlton, is gearing up for its annual Old Home Week, July 19-24. The annual agricultural exhibition will feature two nights of special harness racing events.

On Monday, July 19, Woodstock will feature the $2,000 Earle Avery Memorial Pace. Avery was a Woodstock native and a member of the Harness Hall of Fame. Also on Monday’s program is the $1,000 Clayton Killam Memorial, named for an outstanding New Brunswick colt trainer in the 1950s and 1960s. Monday’s top feature will be a fair division of the Atlantic Series Stakes for 3-year-old pacing colts and carries a $1,300 purse.

On Friday, July 23, Connell’s racing program features the Fourth Annual $7,500 Robert McCain Memorial Pace. A top field of Maritime invitational pacers will attempt to beat last year’s winning mark in the McCain of 1:58.2, set by pacer Christopher C. Down, or even perhaps track record-holder Big Gene’s 1:57.4 mark set in the 1991 McCain. Also on Friday, the $1,500 Wilfred Price Memorial and the $1,300 Atlantic Series Stakes for 3-year-old pacing fillies.

Ingham Palmer, well-known sports writer for Atlantic Post Calls, sports director for CFBC Radio in St. John, free-lance Canadian journalist for the Bangor Daily News and one of the province’s top announcers for more than four decades, will announce this year’s races at Woodstock. Post time is 7:30 p.m.

PACING BITS – The Maine State Harness Racing Commission will hold its meeting at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 14, at the Mezzanine Clubhouse, Bangor Civic Center. The lengthy agenda includes: four positive test hearings; requests from Peter Martin of Martin’s Manor Restaurant of Waterville and James Day of Spare Time Recreation of Lewiston to establish off-track betting facilities; a request of Scarborough Downs for an amended license; definition of a race card; written comments and vote to allow full-card simulcasting; and an update on commission policies regarding positive tests penalties.

SCARBOROUGH DOWNS – has reinstituted the Legislator Trot after a two-year absence. Four trotters are declared “in” for the $20,000 trotting event scheduled for Sunday, July 18, while Paul Verette continues to negotiate with owners across the country to complete the eight-horse field of trotters. The President’s Pace is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 5.