Scarborough Downs celebrates its 50th year in the Maine racing business Sunday with a series of special events and the finals of the 2-year-old Maine Standardbred Breeders Stakes.

Scarborough’s special anniversary program begins at noon and continues with a 2 p.m. post time for a 15-race program.

Jessica Tardy, a Newport native studying music in Boston, will sing the national anthem. A magician will perform for children and adults alike at the seaside track. There will be free balloons and face painting. There will be raffles and giveaways between races and awards to those who bring in the oldest Scarborough Downs race program or betting ticket for either harness or thoroughbred racing.

The 15-race program will present 11 “cooler” blankets memorializing former members of Maine’s harness racing community, according to Kathryn Rollston, track publicist. The honorees are: Dana Childs Sr., Hank and Danny Cyr, Wilbur Stratton, Joanne Ballard, Mannon Robinson, George and Florence Fitch, Bob Pearson, Scott Whittemore, Loring Norton, Pearl and Marion Gerry, and Russell Smith.

Jack Ginetti, president of the New England Harness Writers Association, will present Scarborough Downs a blanket, honoring its 50-year history of providing racing for Maine horsemen.

The track will maintain its nostalgia theme with 1950s prices at the concession stands and specials in the Downs Club Restaurant. The track’s special observance comes to an end at dusk with a fireworks display.

Since early July, the 2-year-old divisions of the Maine Standardbred Breeders Stakes have competed at Bangor Raceway, Scarborough Downs and five of Maine’s racing agricultural fairs. Over the last two decades, the lucrative summer racing series has developed a breed of Maine horse that replenishes overnight racing stock and produces feature performers.

On Sunday, $68,125 is up for grabs as the top eight 2-year-old MSBS contenders compete in three divisional finals. Those who have accumulated the most points, with the purse amounts and racing positions for Sunday’s MSBS Finals, are: Trotters — $22,677, 1. Island Courtesan, 2. Hellofacoptrsimage, 3. Bold Gesture, 4. Texas Valentne, 5. All The Extras, 6. Uncle Jessie, Cranmeadow Auther, 8. Ruby Red V and alternate entry, Cranmeadow Millie.

Pacing filly division, for a $22,732 purse, it’s: 1. Cranmeadow Ginny, 2. Leave It, 3. Pansy, 4. Jim’s Voodoo Doll, 5. Claire’s Kiara, 6. Nickel’s Gem, 7. Berry Fast Cash and 8. She’s So Psycho. In the colt and geldings division, for a $22,716 purse, it’s: 1. The Spoiler, 2. Two Last Words, 3. Reed’s Rules, 4. JR’s Brat, 5. Bob’s Night Off, 6. William and Mary, 7. W J M, 8. Got No Fear. Alternates are Moose Hill Mike and Benjamin.

For the first time in its 49-year history, The New England Harness Writers Association has named three Maine men to receive special recognition. On Sunday, Oct. 1, after the last race at Cumberland Fair, two men will be inducted into the NEHWA Hall of Fame and a third will receive the President’s Award.

Ginetti, of Marlborough, Mass., will induct Clayton Smith of Yarmouth and Kenneth Ward of Brewer into the NEHWA’s Hall of Fame and Harold C. Ralph of Waldoboro has been named to receive the President’s Award. Ceremonies begin at 4:30 p.m. in the Cumberland clubhouse.

The NEHWA also will honor several Maine agricultural racing fairs. For information on dinner tickets call Smith at 846-5649 or Ward at 989-4739, or write Joe Vacarro, 5 Gerald Road, Stoneham, MA 02180-1836.

PACING BITS — The pacing record book was rewritten twice at Blue Hill Fair over the Labor Day weekend. In Saturday’s sixth race, Vernal Sinclair of Dexter paced his 5-year-old Nuclear Siren mare, Nuclear Noel, from her rail position and first across the finish line in 2:05, establishing a new pacing mark for the Blue Hill track.

Sinclair, who used to drive the Maine racing circuit on a regular basis and now drives occasionally, returned to the Blue Hill track Monday to prove the record pace wasn’t a fluke. Sinclair and Nuclear Noel again drew the rail position and the pair dropped the track mile pacing standard even lower, to 2:03.4.

George Rollerston, director of racing at Blue Hill, said Tuesday the previous track pacing mark was 2:05.2, set by Joyful Jenny and Don Gallant in 1995, not 2:01.2 as listed in the USTA’s Trotting and Pacing Guide. Rollerston said the USTA has listed the track’s former pacing record incorrectly for the past five years.

“We’ve been trying to get it corrected, but it hasn’t happened yet,” Rollerston said. “Maybe next year, Gallant will come to Blue Hill and try to lower Sinclair’s mark even further. We would like that.”