As the Maine summer fair circuit heads into its final three week of the 1991 season, the demand on the horse population increases markedly.

This week, Farmington Fair, Scarborough Downs, and Rochester Fair (across the border in New Hampshire) operate concurrently with hopefully enough horses to sustain successful race meets.

The 151st edition of Farmington Fair observes post times of 1:30 p.m. for 11 races on Saturday and 1:30 p.m. for 12 dashes on Sunday. There is no racing at Farmington on Monday. From Tuesday through Friday, post time is 3 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 21, the final day of Farmington Fair.

Rochester Fair opens today (Saturday) with double racing cards at 1:30 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday’s post time is 3 p.m. and Monday through Friday post time is 7:30 p.m. with two racing program on the final day, Saturday, Sept. 21, at 1:30 and 7:30 p.m.

Scarborough Downs will continue to operate its regular schedule next week. They will simulcast live thoroughbred races from Belmont during the afternoon and return with full-card live harness races at night. Kathryn Rolston, advertising director, said Scarborough will temporarily close following its racing program on Saturday, Sept. 21, to allow for Cumberland and Fryeburg Fairs. She said when Scarborough reopens in October, they hope to have AmTote equipment installed that would allow integrating live thoroughbred simulcasts from out-of-state tracks with live harness races at the Downs.

OFF-TRACK WAGERING is moving closer to reality at Scarborough Downs, according to Rolston. During the last legislative session, one of the three bills on harness racing that was approved, L.D. 944, permits off-track betting in Maine at four remote locations within the state. It differs from winter simulcasting in that all races are simulcast, but only from a Maine licensee, either Bangor Raceway or Scarborough Downs, during their extended meets, or an agricultural fair during its fair meet.

The Maine State Harness Racing Commission has indicated that it hopes to have everything in place by the first of the year, but Rolston said Friday that Scarborough is looking for a date of Oct. 30. She indicated that OTB, originating from Scarborough Downs, would be simulcast to remote locations from March through December. The 75-mile radius rule against a race track operating live races would apply with a blackout within that designated area.

“We are already under contract to operate OTB in Lewiston at the site of the former Happy Jack’s Restaurant,” Rolston said. “We are currently in the permit process with the city of Lewiston.”

Rolston also said Scarborough is seriously seeking dedicated space for OTB at the Augusta Civic Center. Other locations being explored are Bangor, Caribou, Sanford or Biddeford.

Rolston said they are no longer looking at Old Orchard as a possible location because of it close promimity to Scarborough Downs.

Any location for an OTB facility would have to have the approval of the local municipality. In addition, the price tag for an off-track facility that would meet the state’s regulations would cost between $60,000 and $100,000.

A spokesman for Bass Park said the city had been contacted concerning OTB and urged to submit a letter of intent to the Maine State Harness Racing Commission requesting for consideration as an OTB location.

He indicated, however, that everything concerning OTB has been “put on hold” until the city has completed the hiring process for a new general manager for Bass Park.