STOP COMPLAINING ABOUT CUMBERLAND

[Locked in with pace]

 When people start complaining about Cumberland, then the topic gets locked or disappears. Would we rather have no place to race? Give them a chance. Heck, some of us can race twice a week with Bangor. And don't mention we can go to the ridge. If you can't pace in 52-53, you are not going to be competitive and make enough to offset shipping and a full day away. Heck, one week I saw multiple miles go in 50 and 51. Every year it gets tougher and tougher. Sure the purses are fantastic, but they make you earn it. Plus TM races down there are a thing of the past. I've seen only one,73, and under and if you win one race, you are out of the class.

[Wawajones]

Obviously, with the number of threads and comments, people care more about Maine racing than racing in any other state.  Yes, our handles are low, but, like the Maritime provinces, Maine is the home to many talented harness drivers and trainers.  We race for the live of racing, not greed.  Well, the money is ok, too. 

[chief yogi]

maine also has started the careers of many top people that were and are in racing.

[Mbdreamer]

Any more info on Butterfield’s 30 days?  Sounds like he said some not nice things!  Assume a beard is lined up.

[mass hole]

Applied for a “stay on appeal”As most horseman can request a stay

[bass park]

Look how the handle goes up without the butterfield and sowers horses.

[sacbee]

What was the handle

[Mbdreamer]

What was the handle

Guessing $50-55K.

[sacbee]

Yea bo and butterfield are ruining maine racing lol

[chief yogi]

80,000.   bo/butterfield are not helping maine. when you got multiple horses raceing under a different trainers name like bo/gibbs/merrill/merrill/merrill in the same race how is that helping? butterfields magic that complete cripples can be hung a whole mile and still win.  while they alone are not the whole problem tell me how many new people want to own/race horses in maine. tell me how its going to grow any fan base with overnight form changes for no reason.

[sacbee]

Agree its all of maine the real problem is we have no horses big horse shortage so the race office has to let them put multiple horses in the box to fill card nobody wants to move to maine to race horses bad purses

[eyeinthesky]

............................. wants to move to Maine to race horses.... bad purses

Todd O Dea should consider the move from Mass.......his horses are competitive in Maine......and there are a few more trainers who "chase" at PRC   but would be picking up checks in Maine.  Its nice to race for bigger purses..but its how much you earn that counts, not what you race for.   With Cumberland racing on PRC  "off" days, they could fill up a couple of horse trailers in Mass and ship them up to make money

[chief yogi]

eye is right on. with all the tracks racing on different days some of the ones who are struggling at the ridge would fit right in up here at either track.  the other thing on filling races in maine has to do with where we are compaired to other tracks. ny shippers to prc have 2 hour ride or so. 4-6 to come up here. maybe if cumberland built another barn it would make it easier for say ny based horses to run here. ship in fri race sat.  i know not many tracks even care about a barn area but its a thought.

[Locked in with pace]

Chief: not a bad idea but my thoughts: for the NY guys to ship in the day before ( if a barn was built and I doubt it) would make no sense. Between the cost of shipping, hotel, food, the groom away for 2 days etc would eat up a good amount of your purse. That's if you get a purse.

I think what you will see are more Mass and NH guys who aren't competitive at the Ridge shipping here. They see others doing it like Odea and he's winning races and making money. His horses aren't competitive there, but it shows that they are here. . And I see more Maine guys who ship there and aren't making money starting to race here.

The ridge has great purses but you have to go huge miles. And this year looks tougher than last.

[chief yogi]

yes ridge has got tougher this year. if you cant go 53 pretty much forget it. plus week after week of those fast miles will get hard on a horse. certainly the stables from maine should fill the maine tracks if they are not able to compete at the ridge.       i think all of the new england tracks would have more horses available if the last number of years maine had more hope. too many years of downs planing to close. a lot of people got out of the business. this was the time of the year the small outfits started filling the box. we dont have many of them any more.  covid last year put a few more out.       handle per race at cumberland the last 2 saturdays have been the best by far. maybe it is a trend that will keep going. also i hope for next year an earlier start at cumberland, maybe april 1 or so.