AUGUSTA – If the number of race dates awarded to Maine’s fairs and commercial racetracks is a good indication, the overall health of the harness racing industry continues to improve. The Maine State Harness Racing Commission held its annual hearing for licensing and race-date assignments… Read More
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… Read More
It’s something that happens rarely at Bangor Raceway, and most New England harness racing tracks in general. Unfortunately, it happened again Sunday afternoon at Bangor. A bizarre accident early in the sixth race claimed the lives of two Maine standardbred pacers. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
After nearly six weeks of sitting around his stables with nothing to do but clean up, feed the horses, and do some limited training, Heath Campbell is making up for lost time. After the start of Bangor Raceway’s 2008 season was postponed four times, interrupted… Read More
BANGOR – Horsemen, horses, track officials and fans at Bangor Raceway have seemingly been waiting at the starting gate all spring. Following Friday’s announcement that racing would be suspended indefinitely at Bangor Historic Track, some of them may be considering bolting the sport entirely. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
BANGOR – About the only thing keeping the rain dripping in through the ramshackle roof of the paddock on the Buck Street side of Bangor Raceway from evaporating off Cain MacKenzie’s head was his baseball cap. MacKenzie, and many horsemen like him, are steaming mad… Read More
For the second straight week, Bangor Raceway has had to totally postpone its opening weekend of harness racing. Soft track conditions including spongy spots and shallow holes ranging from one to four feet in length that have been caused by frost under the course melting… Read More
DES MOINES, Iowa – Day and night, gamblers crowd into the casino east of here and sit at thousands of slot machines and gaming tables – but the stands are largely empty at the complex’s horse racing track. The scene at the Prairie Meadows Racetrack… Read More
The richest day of the Maine harness racing season is even richer this year. Scarborough Downs hosts the 34th annual Maine Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association Stakes Finals races with just more than $213,000 in total purse money at stake. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define… Read More
SCARBOROUGH – The Maine Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association handed out two awards on Saturday. Bethany Graffam of the University of Maine-Farmington was awarded a $3,000 scholarship. She works at the family farm and is a familiar face in the paddock. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
Kristen Vafiades is only 11 years old, but she’s pretty sure she already has her career path planned out. “I think I’m going to drive horses, but I also want to be a vet,” said the fifth-grader from Corinth. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot… Read More
With a 99.77 grade average that has him first in his class, you’d think Mount View High School senior-to-be Brian Blanchard would be spending his summer sifting through college guides, checking out brochures and dreaming about getting his first car. Not so. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
Sunday promises to proceed at a very quick pace – and trot as well – at Bangor Raceway. Three big races with very big purses have attracted Bass Park’s best racing fields this season and Bangor race secretary Fred Nichols expects two track records to… Read More
AUGUSTA – While the general consensus at Thursday’s Maine State Harness Racing Commission meeting was that Maine’s tight horse supply warrants some concern, it’s not enough to alter the remainder of the 2007 racing schedule. “I am concerned with the supply of horses in the… Read More
SCARBOROUGH – Six-year-old pacer Rupert Rupert scorched the rest of the field in the $7,000 feature race at Scarborough Downs Monday afternoon with the fourth-fastest mile ever raced at the track. Rupert Rupert’s time of 1 minute 54.4 seconds. The horse, which joins Landmark Honor and Whitlock N… Read More
When Jason Bartlett describes himself as competitive, he might actually be understating it. There’s competitive and then there’s Bartlett, who admitted he was actually a bit bummed out after his record-setting harness racing performance at Bangor Raceway a week ago. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define… Read More
BANGOR – The barn doors won’t be locked and the horses won’t be gone thanks to a new renovation plan for Bass Park. Penn National Gaming Inc., planned to tear down the existing paddock and racing offices, construct a building housing both units, raze four… Read More
Judy Merrifield will never become independently wealthy doing what she does, but she considers her life to be a lot richer because of it. Merrifield is a weekend dispatcher/switchboard operator for Maritime Energy, but she only does that to supplement her real job, which also… Read More
BANGOR – Back when they were teens, horsepower had an entirely different meaning for Greg Bowden than it did for his friends. While his friends were saving money, checking car lots, and perusing magazines, Bowden was already a proud owner of a harness racing horse. Read More
BANGOR – It’s easy to see why Shawn Nye is such a highly regarded trainer in the local harness racing community. The 34-year-old Bangor native’s love for horses is obvious, but more importantly, so is their love for him. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot… Read More
BANGOR – The horses weren’t the only ones champing at the bit to get started as Bangor Raceway opened its 124th season of harness racing Sunday afternoon. Drivers, owners, trainers and bettors – the winning ones, anyway – were all smiles as sunshine greeted them… Read More
Bangor Raceway is off and running Sunday as it starts its 124th season with a 12-race program at Bangor Historic Track. This is the third straight year in which Bangor Raceway’s race schedule has expanded. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]];… Read More
AUGUSTA – Bangor Raceway and Northern Maine Fair are off and running after getting approval from the Maine State Harness Racing Commission Wednesday to expand their racing schedules next season. It was anything but quick and easy. Officials of both race venues sat through a… Read More
AUGUSTA – For years, some horsemen believed a proposal to remove Scarborough Downs’ hub rail would never see the light of day. After Tuesday morning’s monthly meeting of the Maine State Harness Racing Commission, the hub rail’s removal won’t be the only thing seeing daylight. Read More
SCARBOROUGH – Scarborough Downs is removing its track lighting system, and there’s no guarantee that it will be replaced. The lighting will be eliminated because it’s held in place by a hub rail that’s being removed for safety reasons, according to officials at the harness-racing… Read More
Bangor Raceway’s expanded spring and summer schedule has now reached the finish line and officials at Bangor Historic Track are smiling like they just hit the daily double. “The total handles were up, the purses were way up, so I’m way happy,” said Bangor race… Read More
What has already been an historic season for Bangor Raceway will become even more so this weekend as it closes out an expanded spring-summer season. A week after its first match race – also the track’s first male vs. female race – Bangor Raceway is… Read More
If you can’t beat ’em, make ’em run their own race. That’s the general idea behind the first-ever match race to be held at Bangor Raceway tonight. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false;… Read More
AUGUSTA – Talk about getting on the fast track. A measure that was first proposed in March may be enacted as soon as the first full week of July when Bangor Raceway schedules exclusive harness races for Maine-bred and/or Maine-owned horses. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
Rather than trot slowly through the legislative system, a proposal to hold exclusive harness races for Maine-bred and/or Maine-owned horses may be on the fast track to enactment. The Maine State Harness Racing Commission has picked up the pace on the proposal by considering it… Read More
BANGOR – Almost a third of the way through its 2006 harness racing season, Bangor Raceway appears to be bucking a statewide trend for the better. Although total handle figures statewide are slightly down through April, those at the Bangor Historic Track at Bass Park… Read More
No matter who you talk to in Maine’s harness racing community, the recent formation of the state’s Standardbred Industry Advisory Council is the latest piece of good news for an industry that appeared headed for the glue factory just five years ago. “I’m very excited… Read More
AUGUSTA – Just in case members of Maine’s harness racing community missed it the first time around, the Maine State Harness Racing Commission had a pointed reminder for them Thursday that rules violations will be punished. Veteran horseman Owen Davies of Woodstock, New Brunswick, became… Read More
Bangor Raceway general manager Fred Nichols wasn’t sure what to expect in terms of crowds and betting action as the gates opened on Bangor Historic Track’s 123rd season this spring. In addition to the fact that the track opened its season a month earlier this… Read More
Bangor Raceway’s 123rd season officially gets out of the starting gate Friday, but there will be plenty of on-track activity Saturday as the newly-refurbished and renovated track hosts qualifying runs. Horsemen will get their first up-close look and exposure to the improved paddock and grounds. Read More
AUGUSTA – Bangor Raceway was off and running at Wednesday afternoon’s meeting of the Maine State Harness Racing Commission at the Department of Agriculture’s Deering Building. Bangor Historic Track Inc., (Bangor Raceway) was officially granted its pari-mutuel racing license for the 2006 season by a… Read More
It was almost too much for 13-year-old Chris Nye to bear. The fact he didn’t qualify for the U.S. Trotting Association’s Harness Horse Youth Foundation camp at Bangor Raceway because he was overqualified was bad enough. Being around peers who had no previous experience with… Read More
Despite a slow, weather-affected start which had a negative impact on the first two racing weekends back in late May, Bangor Raceway general manager Fred Nichols says there is a lot to smile about regarding Bangor Historic Track’s 122nd racing season. “I think after the… Read More
What’s believed to be the first of its kind in the Maine harness racing fair circuit could be yet another significant stride toward the revitalization of Maine’s harness racing industry. Friday’s third race at Topsham Fair was certainly the first amateur series betting race this… Read More
Jenna Morrill has always loved animals. The 12-year-old from Holden has cats and a rabbit, and like most girls her age, she has a soft spot for horses. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner =… Read More
Little did Roger Smith Sr. realize what he was starting when he became involved in harness racing back in 1952 as a horse owner. Over the last 54 years, the 91-year-old state racing steward for the Maine State Harness Racing Commission has been an owner,… Read More
BANGOR – Ever wonder what it’s like to drive that big, white, 1976 Cadillac with the extendable starter gate arms at Bangor Raceway? Well, try to imagine being one of two people driving one of those crane trucks or fire department ladder trucks, only with… Read More
BANGOR – It’s not often, if ever, anyone can say they gave someone with three-plus decades of success in their chosen field their “big break,” especially when that break comes 35 years into their career. But that’s what Steve Mahar can say about the opportunity… Read More
The eighth weekend of Bangor Raceway’s 122nd harness racing season promises to be one of the most exciting in terms of crowd-pleasing quality as the Shriners take center stage at Bangor Historic Track. Although racing started Friday night, the Anah Temple Shrine weekend officially kicks… Read More
BANGOR – Talk about coming all the way from the back of the pack. Eleven months later, a state record-breaking performance at Bangor Raceway has been confirmed by track officials. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var… Read More
It’s a big weekend for the Maine harness racing community as the starting gates open on the 31st annual Maine Breeders Stakes series. Many owners, drivers, trainers, fans and gamblers will trot over to Bangor Raceway Sunday afternoon as the first two races – for… Read More
The good news just keeps galloping toward Bangor Historic Track Inc. The Maine Harness Racing Commission’s recent 5-0 vote in favor of granting Pennsylvania-based Penn National Gaming Inc. a state license to operate an off-track betting facility in Bangor means further expansion and continued improvement… Read More
Last weekend, Stephen Mahar reached a milestone few others in the harness racing world can brag about. Mahar’s third win of the night Saturday at Bangor Raceway was also the 4,500th in his 35-year career. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]];… Read More
Bangor Raceway’s 122nd season, which opens tonight at 7:30, will feature one more race date than its 121st as well as some added amenities which will create short-term inconveniences and long-term benefits. “There’s an awful lot of construction activity going on over there,” said Fred… Read More
The harness racing community received quite a surprise recently when Gov. John Baldacci released his new budget proposal for the next fiscal year. The proposed budget for the Department of Agriculture cuts $308,000 that is normally allotted to the Competitive Track Stipend Fund, according to… Read More
AUGUSTA – Bangor Raceway regulars are going to have to make different plans on Wednesdays during the 2005 harness racing season, with the historic track forgoing its traditional midweek races to accommodate construction of a $75 million gambling complex. The Maine Harness Racing Commission on… Read More
RAVENNA, Ohio – A top harness racing driver was sentenced to five years in prison for stabbing his estranged wife in the back with a steak knife. “I really screwed my life up,” Lewiston native Walter Case Jr. said Monday in court. “I let alcohol… Read More
This Sunday, harness racing officials at the Windsor Fair hope to continue where they left off last year with impressive daily handle figures. The fair is hosting Maine Sire Stakes races and the final leg of the Dirigo Series, which should help boost the handle… Read More
SKOWHEGAN – Harness racing at the Skowhegan State Fair has become quite the tradition, with more than 100 years of consecutive racing, according to Tom Dillon, the fair’s superintendent of racing. The fair hopes to continue its racing success starting Sunday with cooperative weather and… Read More
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… Read More
BANGOR – Everyone knows the race is about to begin when the 1976 Cadillac pulls onto the dirt track. Horsemen in colorful racing garb and their steeds quickly line up behind the starter vehicle before they begin their dash around Bangor Raceway. The Cadillac passes… Read More
Sunday afternoon marked the end of the harness racing season at Bangor Raceway, and the track finished on a high note, with the largest handle of the year and the fastest race day in the history of the track, according to general manager Fred Nichols. Read More
Summer means two things for Scarborough Downs: good racing conditions and plenty of tourists. During the summer months, the track’s attendance is more than double that of its spring and fall averages. With this in mind, officials at the track promote heavily during the summer targeting the visiting… Read More
Sunday promises to be in an afternoon of interesting entertainment at Bangor Raceway as the Anah Temple Shrine Parade visits and the track plays host to a bicycle race between Bangor Mayor Dan Tremble and a spokesmen for Penn National Gaming, the company that owns the track. Read More
Officials at Bangor Raceway are gearing up for what they expect will be one of the largest crowds of the season this Fourth of July. Family entertainment, the first Sire Stakes race of the season, and the city fireworks hopefully will help contribute to a large turnout, according… Read More
Harness racing at Bangor Raceway will get some local flavor when the Maine Sire Stakes kicks off its circuit tour at the track on July 4. The circuit of races, comprised of horses sired in Maine, continues until early September when the finals will be held at Scarborough… Read More
Since early May, Bangor Raceway has played host to dozens of Canadian horse-owning families living out of motor homes in an area behind the grandstand. These families have traveled south to take advantage of harness racing opportunities. Canadian horse owners travel to Bangor for one… Read More
Harness racing at Bangor Raceway is going into its fourth week of the season, and with increased attendance and plans to expand the number of race days, it shows no signs of slowing down. “Through our first six days, which is almost a quarter of… Read More
BANGOR – One doesn’t need to look hard to find signs that the 2004 harness racing season is here. Pickup trucks towing horse trailers can be seen in the vicinity of Bass Park, home of Bangor Raceway. Horses pulling trainers on sulkies have been running… Read More
BANGOR – The Maine Harness Racing Commission on Wednesday signed off on a written order restating the decisions the panel made during its last meeting. After reviewing and adopting the order, which outlines several decisions made Feb. 17, the commission members met in executive session… Read More
BANGOR – Horse owner Ken Gallant has been coming to Bangor Raceway since 1949 and said he had never seen two racehorses die on the same weekend. That changed this past weekend. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes =… Read More
BANGOR – It’s minutes before the start of the first race on the 120th opening night of harness racing at Bangor Raceway Friday and Joey Corrow is in a bit of a dilemma. He has a horse in mind, has circled its number on his program but there’s… Read More
BANGOR – Ownership of the company that operates the historic Bangor Raceway at Bass Park changed hands late Tuesday afternoon when a Las Vegas-based company purchased 100 percent of Bangor Historic Track Inc. “We’re exploring all different options,” said Hoolae Paoa, the chief executive officer… Read More
BANGOR – A letter of intent to purchase Bangor Historic Track Inc., was finalized Tuesday afternoon in Portland with the signature of Hoolai Paoa, the representative of Hawaiian businessman Shawn Scott. Paoa is the chief executive officer of Capital One LLC, a Las Vegas real… Read More
BANGOR – Bangor Raceway is readying for one of its busiest weekends of the year. Race secretary Fred Nichols said that the festivities get underway tonight at 7:15 when the card includes four Maine Sire Stakes Breeders races. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var… Read More
Winter beckons. Harness racing snowbirds will soon pack up their belongings and head for the warmer climes of Florida, California, even New York. For others, such as the Heath Campbell and Valerie Grondin team, it’s almost time to pack up and head north. googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
When the curtain falls on this season’s harness racing Sunday at the Fryeburg Fair it will also mark the end of Paul Lusky’s longtime association with the fair. “I’m retiring from my regular job, too,” Lusky said. “I’m trying to free up some time.” googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
On a bright and sunny summer afternoon, Bangor Raceway manager Fred Nichols sat in his Bass Park office explaining his sport to a harness racing-challenged novice. As Nichols talked a horse munched grass in a field outside his office. It was peaceful. A quiet setting… Read More
Longtime NEWS harness racing writer Ken Ward will be among those honored at the opening ceremonies of the Cumberland Fair Sunday at 1 p.m. Mike Timmons runs the harness racing meet at the fair. He said that Ward, who died on July 23, will be… Read More
The future of Bangor Raceway moved a step closer to finalization this week with the delivery of a draft report to the Bangor City Council that includes, among other things, the pros and cons of harness racing. The draft report, titled, “Overview of Reuse Options… Read More
The O’Connor GMC Pine Tree Pacing Series reaches its conclusion Saturday at Scarborough Downs when a field of eight horses will chase a $50,000 payday in the series finale. “It’s the largest [purse] in New England and third largest in the history of the state… Read More
The unthinkable is happening. One Vine Lady is back in the pack. Way back. Almost out of it, in fact. How can this be? She’s been doing so well at the Bangor Raceway summer. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]];… Read More
Mingled among all the sounds in the paddock – the clop-clop-clop of the horses, the crunch of sulky wheels along the gravel, the announcements for the next race – is the whistling. Step carefully around the cigarette butts, muddy puddles, and occasional manure pile and… Read More
It’s a cool, rainy Wednesday evening at the Bangor Raceway, rare for this summer’s harness racing season. Just a few people stand out by the metal fence that rings the track; more look for prime spots under the grandstand overhang. The dirt on the half-mile track has clumped… Read More