Bangor Raceway regains lost dates

Despite the initial cancellation of 14 spring race dates due to wet track conditions at Bangor Raceway, Bangor Historic Track will not lose any race dates this season.

Thanks to a compromise agreement between Bangor Raceway, Scarborough Downs, and the approval of the Maine State Harness Racing Commission, Bangor will make up those 14 dates in July, September, October and November.

“I think it was a win-win all around today and it was nice to see Bangor and Scarborough be able to work together and come up with a compromise,” said Corey Smith, Bangor Raceway’s director of operations. “It was a great day. I’m very pleased with the way things went.”

Smith initially made a formal request to reopen the race date assignments for 2008 at a commission meeting Wednesday in Augusta. He requested the addition of 15 dates on days in July, September and October, but Scarborough representatives objected to several specific race dates, citing concerns over horse supply in September and October.

“They were worried there might not be enough horses for both tracks in September and – to a lesser degree – October,” Smith explained. “Our feeling was with our local horses and the supply of Canadian horses, it wouldn’t affect the population, especially with us racing Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays.”

The MSHRC voted to reopen the date hearings, and MSHRC executive director Henry Jackson suggested a recess during which the two track officials could meet and try to work out their differences before the commission voted on the two conflicting motions.

“Their biggest concern was the dates in September,” Smith said. “They said if we could take the 5th and 6th [Sept.] off the table, they could accommodate us.”

The two sides reached a compromise and the commission voted 3-0 to award Bangor race dates on July 1, 8 and 15; Sept. 3 and 7; Oct. 7, 8, 14, 15, 21, 22, 28 and 29; and Nov. 5. The maximum number of races per race date is 10 and post times are 7 p.m. for the July, September and November dates with all the September race days featuring a 3 p.m. post.

“Bangor also agreed with a request from Fryeburg Fair that Bangor not publish a conditions sheet for October racing until after noon on Oct. 2, so as not to conflict with Fryeburg’s racing,” commission chairman George McHale said.

McHale was one of three commission members present along with James Tracy of Farmingdale and Stanley Kuklinski of Farmington. Sidney “Todd” Bradley of Easton and Mary Anne Martell of Portland were unable to attend.

Bangor had to cancel 14 race dates in April and May due to a lack of water drainage on the track, which caused very soft and treacherous conditions.

“This is good for everyone involved, I think, because we got the dates we wanted and neither the horsemen nor the track will lose any race days this season,” Smith said.

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