Harness racing at the Topsham Fair starts Sunday evening as officials at the track hope for a strong horse supply and good weather.

“[The handle] was down last year compared to the year before, the horse supply was down and we had a couple of bad days of inclement weather,” said Jerry Lamarre, the fair’s racing superintendent.

Poor weather can cripple harness racing, especially for fairs which generally race only a week.

“Weather is a real big factor in the racing industry,” said Lamarre.

The track hopes to improve its handle by 10 to 20 percent over last year if the weather cooperates, said Lamarre.

Horse supply, the other factor that can hamper a track’s number of races, looks to be good so far, as the track has between 80 and 90 horses lined up to race on Sunday, according Lamarre.

The fair will host racing beginning at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

Sire Stakes races tighten

The 2-year-old division of the Maine Sire Stakes races has reached the halfway point of the season. After four races in each division there are four races left until the finals on Sept. 12 at Scarborough Downs.

Horses are awarded points based on their finishes – they receive 50 points for a first, 25 for a second, 12 for a third, 8 for a fourth, 5 for a fifth, and 1 for a sixth.

Currently, in the 2-year-old filly pacers division, Baton is in the lead with 200 points, followed by Abbes In Town with 158 points, and Lasair with 70.

In the 2-year-old filly trotters division, Bob’s Wild Honey, Fox Ridge Florence, and Miss Eva Hayes are all tied for first with 75 points.

Westridgenogossip is dominating the 2-year-old trotters division with four wins in four starts, giving the horse a total of 200 points. Virtuous One is in second with 87.

In the 2-year-old colt pacers division, Sammy Neutron and Dragon’s Descent are tied for first with 162 points. Pembroke Cushy is in third with 120.

The 2-year-old divisions race next in Topsham, followed by Skowhegan, Union and Windsor, before the top eight from each division compete in the final.

The 3-year-old division of the Maine Sire Stakes race has not yet reached the halfway point, as these horses race until the final on Oct. 17 at Scarborough Downs.

Grace Is Amazing is in first in the 3-year-old filly pacers division with 130 points, followed by Kandy Corners with 112.

In the 3-year-old filly trotters division, Abby C is in the lead with 200 points after five races and four wins. Carapelli and My Irish Valentine round out the top three with 106 and 48 points, respectively.

In the 3-year-old colt trotters division, Conductor’s Timeout is in first with 208 points.

In the 3-year-old colt pacers, Mercedes LHR is in first with 150 points, having won Wednesday night in Presque Isle, followed by KDK Samstown with 132, and Andy with 112.