The Maine State Harness Racing Promotion Board is nearing a decision on its new executive director.

The full-time position, with an approximate salary of $42,000, was advertised earlier this summer and 40 applications were submitted for the top job on the promotions board. After reviewing all candidate resumes, the nine-member board has narrowed the candidate selection down to four finalists.

The racing promotional board is a state-funded organization with its operating budget derived from a percentage of the total parimutuel handle in the state. It is, however, a separate entity from any state agency and the new director will answer only to board members.

The four finalists are: Greg Tulloch, Scarborough; Tom Kole, Milo; Richard Charloff, Auburn; and Charles Peers, Kennebunk.

Tulloch is currently a member of the promotions board representing the Maine Harness Horsemen’s Association. He is a Colby College graduate with a sales and management background and originator of Super Coups, a coupon mailing company.

Kole is retired and has a college degree in marketing. He was an owner and breeder of thoroughbred horses and now owns Standardbreds. He has been a sports promotor in Las Vegas and in the mid-1950s, he promoted boxing in the Bangor area.

Charloff has a Masters degree in business from the University of Massachusetts and has been a licensed nursing home administrator for more than 20 years. He has owned and raced Standardbred horses in Maine.

There is no information on Peers because his resume was not available.

The promotion board will interview the final four candidates on Oct. 9 and announce its decision on the new MSHPB executive director.

Cumberland Fair continues concludes its eight-day racing program this weekend observing a 1:30 post time through Sunday. Today’s feature is the 3-year-old pacing colts.

Harness racing moves to Fryeburg Fair next week on Tuesday. Fryeburg is Maine’s last agricultural racing fair of the year.

It’s a very special year for Fryeburg. In this month’s edition of Hoofbeats, a national publication of the United States Trotting Association, Fryeburg Fair is featured with a story and several color photographs after being named a “Blue Ribbon Fair” by Hoofbeats’ readers.

Fryeburg Fair, operated by the West Oxford Agricultural Society, was one of three fairs selected by the magazine’s readers for operating one of the nation’s best harness racing programs. The southwestern Maine fair will formally be presented with the USTA award on Oct. 4, by Fred Noe, executive director of the USTA, following the running of the second race.

Fryeburg’s 1997 race meet opens on Sept. 30, and closes on Oct. 5. Post time is 1:30 p.m. every day.

Some familiar Maine officials fill the racing slots at Fryeburg. Dennis May moves from Cumberland to Fryeburg as presiding judge, with Ed Kelleher and Gordon Tenney as associate judgess. Clayton Smith returns as race secretary and Paul Lusky as director of racing. The racing program will not be simulcast. If you haven’t been to a Maine agricultural fair this year, this is the last one of the season – and it is now recognized as one of the best in the nation.

At Tuesday’s meeting of the Maine State Harness Racing Commission, Scarborough Downs addressed the commission concerning the number of dashes its would be allowed to program at its upcoming fall meet. The MSHRC had indicated it would allow certain flexibility in Scarborough’s fall/winter racing schedule and granted its request to race 12 races per program. The request satisfies the state rule mandating anything more than 10 races per day at Scarborough must be approved by the MSHRC. Now is doesn’t have to be done on a daily basis.

Scarborough Downs plans a four-day racing schedule of Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. The revised racing schedule will allow Scarborough to negotiate to simulcast its signal to out-of-state OTB markets that it currently does not service.

The mutuels department at Scarborough Downs said Thursday that the track will reopen for live racing on the previously awarded race date of Oct. 6 at 4 p.m. It will then begin its Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday racing format with a 4 p.m. post time every day.