Shrine Trot to be featured at Bangor

After an absense of several years, the Shrine Trot returns to Bangor Raceway as the Sunday feature.

A field of Maine’s best trotting horses will compete the mile distance for the coveted Shrine award.

Sidney Winchester, potentate of Anah Temple, will present a blanket to the winning horse and driver of the trotting event. The trot is named in memory of Noble Gerald Nowell of Hermon, a former member of Anah Temple and owner of the outstanding pacer Meadow Rich.

Before the races at 1 p.m., units of Anah Temple will parade around the Bass Park half-mile oval. The staging area for the parade is the backside of the raceway in the Buck Street parking lot, according to Ralph Fraser, director of units. Shriners who are marching are requested to assemble at 12:30 p.m. for the 1 p.m. stepoff, Fraser said.

Also on Sunday, Kelly Bickmore, coordinator for the Harness Horse Youth Foundation, will hold her annual youth camp for area youngsters.

From 9 a.m. to the 1:30 p.m. post time, children will tour the barn area, watch a blacksmith at work, and learn the many aspects related to the proper care and feeding of a Standardbred horse. Children will also present blankets to winners in the first three races of the 10-race afternoon program.

On Sunday, the last two divisions of the The Maine Standardbred Breeders Stakes are scheduled. The 3-year-old pacing colts and fillies head to post in wagering events, completing their first week of competition at Bangor Raceway.

On tonight’s racing program, the 2-year-old trotters will be raced as a prerace, non-wagering event as eight diagonally gaited youngsters head to post at 7:10 p.m.

This is the first week of competition for the 2-year-olds, although many have competed against each other in the Learn and Earn Series at Scarborough Downs. But tonight’s race is not for $100, but a $2,483 purse. A distaffer, Little Miss Gwen, by Ruck A Chucky and owned by Carlton Chamberlain of Springvale, has posted the fastest win time of the field in 2:11.

The other two trotting races are both scheduled as wagering events in the third for a purse of $2,622 and eighth for a winning share of the $2,782.

Post time for Friday and Saturday is 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 1:30 p.m.

PACING BITS – The Maine State Harness Racing Commission held a meeting at the Bangor Civic Center on Wednesday. The bulk of the day-long MSHRC meeting was consumed by three appeal hearings. The remainder of the meeting was devoted primarily to simulcasting.

The commission did issue a license to Peter Martin, owner of John Martin’s Manor Restaurant, to establish Maine’s first off-track betting facility in Waterville.

Martin said he intends to have his 150-seat facility “on line” by Thursday, July 29, and open for business the next day. Admitting there would be bugs and glitches to work out, Martin said he would offer afternoon racing cards, probably with a 1-2 p.m. post time; a bridge racing program (between afternoon and evening) at approximately 3:15 p.m. and night racing at 7:30 p.m. from two separate tracks.

Martin was scheduled to meet Thursday with Skowhegan Fair officials who have the power to keep him from operating because of a restrictive 50-mile radius rule imposed by the state of Maine, to protect live extended and agricultural race meets.

Lewiston’s Spare-time Recreation request for an OTB, presented by Jim Day, was tabled until the Aug. 4 MSHRC meeting at Skowhegan, because of delayed action by the Lewiston City Council on necessary permits.

Another commission item adopted was full-card simulcasting. There were no pro or anti comments for the rule change and no opposition voiced by any Maine horsemen’s groups.

Delayed to the August meeting at Skowhegan was the item to define a race card. “Does running one live race, and filling the rest of the card with simulcasts, constitute a race card?” Ken Ronco, executive secretary of the Maine Harness Horsemen’s Association asked.

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

On Monday, Woodstock will feature the $2,000 Earle Avery Memorial Pace; the $1,000 Clayton Killam Memorial; a fair division of the Atlantic Series Stakes for 3-year-old pacing colts with a $1,300 purse. On Friday, July 23, the feature is the fourth annual $7,500 Robert McCain Memorial Pace.

COUNTY RACEWAY in Presque Isle races out its fifth session tonight with eight dashes heading to post at 7:30 p.m.