When off-track betting was introduced in Maine, it was viewed as a last-ditch effort for a dying horse industry, and perhaps it was. But it certainly has turned out to be the boost the industry needed. With a combined record-setting $59.5 million wagered in 1994, the future of the harness racing industry looks more secure.

The new leadership group at Scarborough Downs believes the experimental period for OTBs has been successfully concluded. Management has adopted the attitude that “if you’re going to be in the simulcasting business, you had better go first class.” And with the installation of new simulcasting equipment, they have done that.

The quality of the simulcast picture now originating at Scarborough, with the addition of the split-screen action, is as clear and as professional as anywhere in the country. Patrons of Maine’s eight OTBs now feel comfortable in accepting the new addition to live horse racing and with that approval, Scarborough has improved its product.

Scarborough Downs currently operates a three-day racing schedule, Monday, Saturday and Sunday, with 1 p.m. post times each day. Kathryn Rolston, director of publicity, said Wednesday that in addition to simulcasting to all Maine OTBs, Scarborough satellites its live races all along the East Coast to Pocono Downs, Pa., Hindsdale Raceway, N.H., Rockingham Park, N.H., Foxboro Park, Mass., Penn National, Pa., and eight OTBs in Pennsylvania.

Last Monday was Rockingham’s first simulcast of Scarborough’s races and the track wagered more than $15,000 on the Scarborough signal. When Foxboro Park comes on line with its live races beginning April 1, Scarborough will move to a 4 p.m. Monday post time, forfeiting Monday afternoons to Foxboro Park.

Simulcasting the Monday race programs at Scarborough makes the seaside track a “bridge track.” Most out-of-state harness tracks do not operate on Monday and Scarborough’s live program is eagerly awaited at OTBs outside Maine who want to bet on the only harness offering available. Along the East Coast, there is a potential to simulcast into 52 locations. “Wouldn’t that be nice,” Ralston said.

Scarborough has also gutted and remodeled its drivers’ lounge in the paddock area, according to Ralson. The unveiling of the new lounge will be at 1:30 p.m., Sunday, March 19. The clubhouse opens March 31.

When simulcasting first was introduced into Maine, track operators predicted a loss to the live racing product of approximately 12 percent. That figure has proven fairly accurate. But if a Maine facility, such as Scarborough Downs, sends out a live harness-meet signal, the host track must negotiate a fee for the satellite signal. That fee can amount to anywhere from a high of five percent to a low of three percent of the OTBs total daily handle, depending on the state.

At winter meeetings: Some familiar names retained leadership roles but there were also some surprise firsts for the Bangor area. The Maine Harness Horsemen’s Association re-elected Sheridan Smith of Farmington as its president for another year. Dick Hartley of Bangor maintained the top spot for the Maine Standardbred Breeders Association with Richard McKeen of Freeport and Dana Delisle of Oakland replacing Bob Berry of Auburn and J. Charles Smith of Sanford on the MSBOA board of directors.

Frank Hayes begins his second year of a two-year term as president of the Maine Association of Agricultural Fairs. The only MAAF personnel change was June Hammond of Fryeburg to the board of directors replacing Don Buzzell of Fryeburg.

But Maine harness racing is showing definite signs of progress. For the first time in any Maine Standardbred horsemen’s organization, a women was elected president this year. Wendy Mosher of Bangor was elected president of the Down East Harness Horsemen’s Association, replacing Harold Billings who moved to the board of directors and Gary Robinson of Milo replaces Scott Niles of Bangor on the DEHHA board of directors.

Additionally, among the MHHA awards presented this past winter, Fred Nichols of Orono, operator of Bangor Raceway, was the recepient of the coveted Track Management Award for 1994. What makes the award, the Morris Wing Memorial Trophy, even more special is that Nichols is a first-year track manager and it is the first time Bangor has received the award. However, anyone who attended Bangor’s extended meet saw Nichols’ efforts and know the award was well deserved.

Pacing bits: Last Saturday, Randy Bickmore, a well-known Maine driver, was involved in an on-track collision at Scarborough Downs when the horse in front of him went down during qualifiers.

“One second, I was all right, the next second, I was on the track and horses were going over me,” said Bickmore, who suffered cuts and contusions and a separated shoulder.

He was Taken by ambulance to Maine Medical Center in Portland. Bickmore will be sitting on the rail for awhile. His stable is now in the process of moving from Cumberland to Bangor. The horse he was qualifying? It was R-U-O-K. The horse was, Randy wasn’t.