Owners of horses that raced the 2- and 3-year-old divisions of the 1995 Maine Standardbred Breeders Stakes have some extra cash coming to them this spring – more than $50,000.

The total parimutuel handle in Maine for 1995, including off-track wagering parlors, was $63,549,413. Of that amount, $698,975 was earned revenues paid into the Maine Breeders Stakes Fund. The MSBS expenses for last year amounted to $643,105, leaving a Sire Stakes surplus of $55,869.

Since Maine law requires the Sire Stakes account to be zeroed out each year, any surplus funds must be divided among last season’s Sire Stakes winners. The law does not allow any holdover funds for the start of the next stakes season.

Maine Sire Stakes revenues are generated from: a percentage of the live parimutuel handle; commercial meet stipend; extended meet stipend; off-track betting simulcast fund and fees.

In 1974, the Maine Legislature mandated and funded $75,000 to initiate an in-state breeding program to develop a Maine strain of Standardbred horse. All MSBS offsprings would be sired by a stallion standing in Maine and born of a Maine-owned mare.

The stock was to help Maine racetracks by producing a better class of horse for overnight and feature events. The program now spans 22 years and during that time, the MSBS had serious financial problems with funding until legislators legalized off-track wagering in Maine.

With the recent addition of OTB money, revenues have exceeded estimates, and last year’s harness racing revenues created a Sire Stakes surplus of $55,869. The State Harness Racing Commission is now in the process of dividing and returning the surplus funds to owners of the winning horses who competed in the the weekly legs and finals of the six Sire Stakes divisions.

For instance, a horse like Andrew Card’s outstanding 3-year-old MSBS pacing colt Bold Bluff, who has $41,888 in lifetime earnings and 12 wins in 13 starts, could be looking at an additional $1,500 to 2,000 from the surplus stakes earnings.

Purse money no longer seem to be a problem with the MSBS. It is estimated that Maine’s parimutuel handle in 1996 will increase to approximately $71 million and that each weekly 3-year-old sire stakes divisions could race for minimum purses of $7,600 and the 2-year-old divisions at $5,000 per division.

Stakes finals, in the fall at Scarborough Downs, could be racing for $50,000. If any week there is a single division racing in each class, rather than two divisions, those estimates could double.

The net result of this turnaround in MSBS racing has created the obvious – a greater demand on a smaller supply of Maine-staked horses and an increase in prices. Maine Sire Stakes colts and fillies are just not available, especially trotters.

A couple of years ago when the gloom-and-doom atmosphere dominated the thinking on Maine harness racing, many owners and breeders drastically reduced their overheads and their nurseries survived because they downsized and sold off young stock, broodmares, and were more selective with bookings in the Maine program.

Don Marean of Hollis, president of the Maine Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association, said this week that prices on yearlings going through the sales this year have increased dramatically and now average 50 percent more than last year.

“This is a good sign that people are getting back into the business. We are looking for a very positive season this year,” Marean said.

There are currently 66 active stallions standing in Maine. This year, 80 trotting and pacing 2-year-old juveniles have sustained their 2-year-old payments and are at training tracks jogging on miles preparing for the sire stakes opener on June 28 at Scarborough Downs.

In the 3-year-old divisions, 135 have sustained: 55 colts; 44 fillies and 36 trotters. Some will make it to the stakes races, some will not. That’s the nature of this business.

Stakes horses suffer a huge attrition rate. The national average for colts making it to the racetrack for stakes racing is approximately 18 percent. In Maine, that average is somewhat higher at roughly 22 percent, partially because in Maine, there is not such a demand for speed and performance from the youngsters.

In 1995, six Maine tracks conducted extended meet racing with stipends based on live racing only. Scarborough Downs’ parimutuel handle was $5,446,984 or 71.29 percent of the total live handle for a stipend of $186,912.26. Bangor Historic Track’s handle was $1,667,024 or 21.95 percent of the total for a stipend of $57,549.79. Skowhegan’s extended total amounted to $326,309 or 4.27 percent and a stipend of $11,195.33.

County Raceways in Presque Isle generated $72,678 or .95 percent for a stipend of $2,409.77. Cumberland extended (one day) amounted to $59,349 or .78 percent of total handle and a stipend of $2,045.05. At the bottom end of the stipend money was Farmington extended, also one day, with $58,091 or .76 percent of handle, earning an extra stipend of $1,192.61.

The Maine Sire Stakes schedule for 1996 is the same as last season – 13 weekly competitions beginning Friday, June 28 at Scarborough Downs with a final for the 3-year-old divisions on Sunday, Oct. 13 at Scarborough Downs. The 2-year-old divisions compete for eight weeks beginning Wednesday, July 10 at Bangor Raceway with a final on Sunday, Sept. 8 at Scarborough Downs.