Bangor Raceway had a better season this year than last year. As a startup meet, the Bangor track seems to set the tone for the agricultural fair circuit. If Bangor does well, the fairs tend to do well.

But final figures for Bangor Raceway’s 29-date extended meet may not be available until the fall because the privately operated Bangor racing facility still has state stipend money pending before the investor group can issue a complete financial statement.

Fred Nichols, raceway manager, said Thursday that despite the wet, cold weather at the beginning of the meet, the parimutuel handle did increase this year. Using just on-track parimutuel numbers, Nichols said this year’s handle increased to more than $983,000, approximately $114,000 better than last year’s 26-day extended meet figure of $869,000.

“Our daily average handle was also up,” Nichols said. “It was a marginal increase, but it was an increase.”

Nichols said his off-track betting increased by more than 50 percent.

“I think the reasons for the large increase were full fields, compared to last year, and more dashes per card and no double dashes. If you have enough horses to race, things get better,” he said.

Concerning race dates for 2001, Nichols said he is looking forward to next year.

“I’m encouraged by this year, we had bigger crowds and the racing was better, so next year may not be too different to what we did thibetter, so next year may not be too different to what we did this year,” he said.

Nichols said he doesn’t know what is going to happen with his investor group and the city of Bangor after their contract expires at the end of next year.

Racing begins in Presque Isle

With the closing of Bangor Raceway last Sunday, racing action moves to Maine’s agricultural fair circuit for the next eight weeks. The first on the fair circuit is Northern Maine Fair in Presque Isle with six days of racing in conjunction with the Northern Maine Fair.

The Star City track opens tonight with post time at 7 p.m. and races through Saturday, Aug. 5. On Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, NMF will feature Roger Huston, famed track announcer who has announced at almost every race track in the United States and Canada.

Tonight, NMF will feature all 2-year-old divisions of the Maine Standardbred Breeders Stakes. Next week, the 3-year-old divisions will be featured with trotters on Wednesday, pacing fillies on Thursday and pacing colts on Friday.

When the 2-year-old trotters head to post tonight, one outstanding stakes trotter will be missing – Starr King. This talented Moving Forward gelding died last Saturday after a rush trip to the Rochester Equine Clinic on Friday and an emergency operation in the stomach to relieve gas and problems in the secum and the colon area. He got progressively worse and on Saturday he died, said Rick Simonds, one of his owners.

“He had a ton of talent and had never seen a whip,” Simond said. “Imagine the potential he had.”

Starr King was co-owned by Cianchette/Hutchins/Simonds and driven by Donny Richards. Starr King had an unblemished stakes trotting record with three wins in three starts. The promising young colt was so fast and strong that the Bangor track barred him from the wagering.

Post times at NMF are: 7 p.m., tonight, Monday, Thursday, Friday and 2 p.m. Wednesday and 1 p.m. Saturday.

Mainers at Hambletonian Week

Do you know which brother-sister team of harness drivers who has more wins than any other pair in the nation? If you answered Lewiston natives Walter Jr. and Kelly Case, you would be correct. And next week, during Hambletonian Week at The Meadowlands, N.J., Kelly Case and Bangor native Valerie Grondin, are part of a field of 10 women drivers to compete in the $20,000 Women’s International Trot on Tuesday, Aug. 1.

The winning driver of this year’s event will receive the fabulous Malabar Man Trophy to be presented in the winner’s circle by Malvern Burroughs, owner and driver of Malabar Man, the 1997 Hambletonian winner.

Another Mainer is also headed to the 175th edition of the $1 million Hambletonian on Saturday, Aug.5 at The Meadowlands. Jim Hough, a retired employee of the Los Angles school department, was the winner of a handicapping contest sponsored by the Maine Harness Racing Promotion Board and Budweiser.

Hough “outcapped” his competition at Bangor Raceway, received $100 from the Bangor track and the next week, he moved to Scarborough Downs to meet the winners from other participating OTBs. Once again, Hough faced the challenge and at the end of the contest, he was named top prognosticator.

For his efforts, Hough received two all-expense tickets to next Saturday’s Hambletonian.