Off to the races: Investor group bets big on harness racing in southern Maine
Photo / Jim Neuger
First Tracks Investments LLC has revived harness racing at the Cumberland Fairgrounds and invested around $80,000 in a new tote board, shown here behind the live action.
Photo / Jin Neuger
Harness racing in Cumberland takes place from April through August and then from November through Christmas.
Photo / Jim Neuger
The paddocks are abuzz with activity on racing days.
Photo / Jim Neuger
Horses and sulkies coming around the turn last December, during the Winter Festival Meet.
More than three years after Scarborough Downs closed the chapter on 70 years of live harness racing, the sport is still going strong in southern Maine, led by local investors with a long-term plan to build a new track.
In 2021, the action shifted to the Cumberland Fairgrounds, where First Tracks Investments LLC operates races several months of the year in the off-season from agricultural fairs.
“My great uncle was very involved in the harness racing community for many many years,” Michael Cianchette, the company's CEO, told Mainebiz in an interview. (Scroll down for a seven-minute audio report.)
“As Scarborough Downs closed, we knew that the story of harness racing wasn’t over in Maine,” he said. “So we believe that working together with a lot of different folks, we can hopefully write the next chapter and continue this longstanding Maine agricultural tradition.”
That tradition dates back to the 1800s, in a largely rural state that once boasted close to 100 trotting parks.
'Once you start, you don't stop'
As First Tracks Investments makes plans to build a new race track in southern Maine, the company has spent around $80,000 on a new tote board in Cumberland.
While the Fairgrounds grandstand isn’t the most modern, the sport has a loyal following among racegoers, who braved chilly temperatures to turn out for the 2023 “Au Revoir” horse retirement showcase just before Christmas.
Patty Crawford, of the Waldo County town of Palermo, was was there to pay her respects to one of the retirees, an equine named Drunk and Dramatic, or "Drunky" for short. The 14-year-old bay mare is owned by some of her family members.
“Been a long life in harness racing,” she told Mainebiz at the track. “Once you start, you don’t stop.”
'More like a poker game'
Race bets are taken on-site as well as from other states and countries, bringing in close to $7 million in “handle” revenue in 2023. That’s up from $3.8 million in 2021.
“One of the great things about harness racing, and pari-mutuel racing, is that the house doesn’t care who wins,” Cianchette said. “It’s more like a poker game. The people betting are betting against each other, and all we are interested in is seeing a good, clean competitive race that generates a lot of excitement and generates an opportunity for Mainers to be showcased throughout the world.”
Though Cianchette isn’t ready to go public with details of the planned building site, he did explain the strategy.
“The ultimate goal is to build a modern racetrack with food and beverage, and other entertainment options in southern Maine, to not only capture a lot of Canadian tourists and others who may have interest in harness racing, but introduce new fans to the sport — and also give people another entertainment opportunity,” he said.
“Winters can be long in Maine, and we’re always looking for more things to do.”
Audio Snapshot: Mainebiz at the track
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