The fall season is here and each day the sun disappears from the sky a little earlier and the nights are cool enough for a jacket.

The cool weather also marks the end of Maine’s agricultural racing fair circuit. Only Cumberland and Fryeburg Fairs remain on the racing fair circuit after Farmington Fair completes its fair race meet on Saturday. Today’s Farmington racing program (and simulcasts) list eight events, with a $2,500 winners over pace for fillies and mares, sponsored by the Maine Harness Racing Promotion Board. Post time is 3 p.m.

For Saturday’s 10-race program, Farmington moves its post time to 1:30 p.m. and will feature the $5,000 Hight Invitational Pace in the seventh race. The compact field of five pacers has the potential to set a new mark and includes current track pacing mark holder, Rhine Wine (1:56). From the rail out, its: Branchbrook Mystic, Star Track, Chatham Hoochee, Rhine Wine and Kef Hanover.

With the closing of Farmington on Saturday, everything makes a move to southern Maine at Cumberland for eight days of racing in conjunction with the Cumberland Fair, Maine’s Blue Ribbon Fair. Cumberland will simulcast its races every day and The Cumberland Farmers Club are planning several special events during its eight-day race meet, even things that I have never witnessed at a race track. At noon, on Sunday, opening day, a real wedding ceremony will be performed in the winner’s circle.

Other special features at Cumberland include: minature horse races; an “under saddle” race; a ladies race and an oldies race for men over 50-years old. “I think the track record of 1:57.3, set by Nurk in 1994 will be challenged and lowered, because of our new racing surface,” Francis Small, director of racing, said Thursday. Cumberland will also host the 3-year-old divisions of the Maine Standardbred Breeders Stakes — Trotters on Monday; pacing fillies on Tuesday and pacing colts on Wednesday. Opening Sunday will feature 10 dashes and post time for all eight race days at Cumberland is 2 p.m.

This year, regular announcer, Ernie Cobb III, will again call the races at Cumberland, but Cobb will have a “backup” voice, if you will, in the booth with him. Roger Huston, one of the most famous announcers of harness races in the world will be the guest voice at Cumberland on Sept. 29, 30 and Oct. 1. Huston has announced more than 127,000 races on three continents, six countries and 15 states over the past 40 years. Huston says he would like to call races at every track in the country and with Cumberland being his 115th track, he may well meet his goal. A regular race-caller at Ladbrokes at The Meadows, Huston is best know as the booming voice announcing The Little Brown Jug each year, one of the three races that make up harness racing’s Triple Crown of Pacing.

Huston will also receive honors from the New England Harness Writers Association on Sunday, Oct. 1, at a special awards dinner and ceremonies in the clubhouse, along with NEHWA honorees Greg Bowden, Bill Ellis, Orrin Phipps, Cumberland and Fryeburg Fairs, Scarborough Downs and Bangor Raceway. Harold C. Ralph of Waldoboro will receive The NEHWA President’s Award and Clayton Smith and Ken Ward (that’s me) will be inducted into the NEHWA Hall of Fame. It all begins at 4:30 p.m. after the races.

PACING BITS — Race fixing charges against Hall of Famer, Herve Filion, and two others have been dropped by the State Attorney General’s office in New York, according to a United States Trotting Association release. In return, Filion entered a guilty plea to a charge of not having filed a state income tax return in 1996 — a misdemeanor.

The same actions were also taken in the cases of trainer Fred Grant and driver David Ingraham, who along with Filion were charged with race fixing in 1995. Also, the two other principals in the case, owner Daniel Kramer and driver Darron Ryder, accepted pleas. Kramer pleaded guilty to tampering with a sports contest and was fined $1,000 and lost his New York racing license.

Filion, 60, told the Associated Press that he wants to return to racing in New York, where he has been banned since being arrested in 1995 on the race fixing charges that have now been dropped. Filion is North America’s all-time leading dash winning driver, having won 14,783 races.

There is a statement I make every so often that still bears repeating — the Maine Standardbred Breeders Stakes are the best thing that has ever happened to Maine harness racing. The 2- and 3-year-old youngsters just keep getting faster and George The Greek is racing proof of that this year. On Wednesday, George The Greek and driver Kevin Switzer, were again barred from the wagering in the colts and geldings division at Farmington’s race track. It’s the fifth time this season the pair have been barred, but no matter. He sizzled the Farmington track, winning in 1:57.3. Two weeks ago, he clocked a 1:56.3 winning mile at Windsor.

As a 2-year-old colt, he won six of his eight starts and earned $14,962. But this year, he has grown and is much stronger and his record is 10 wins in 11 starts with earnings of $25,012 and he still has two weeks to compete before the 3-year-old final at Scarborough Downs on Sunday, Oct. 15.