Scarborough Maine
- The Mid Summer
Classic, a mainstay
of the New England
harness scene during
the 1980’s and
1990’s will
experience a
resplendent rebirth
on Friday (July 11)
as Scarborough Downs
reinstates the
$20,000 Invitational
Pace as a vehicle to
help celebrate the
350th anniversary of
the founding of the
town of Scarborough,
Maine
“We have made a
concerted effort to
beef up our stakes
calendar this
season” said
Scarborough
spokeswoman Susan
Higgins, “And the
renewal of the Mid
Summer Classic
coincided perfectly
with the town of
Scarborough’s 350th
anniversary. Our
event is sort of a
kickoff for all the
hoopla that will
overtake the town
this weekend – we’re
expecting a great
turnout at the races
on Friday.”
Ideal Conditions
has been installed
as the 5-2 morning
line favorite as the
New York shipper
roars into town
boasting
back-to-back wins at
Saratoga and Yonkers
Raceway for local
owner Scott Dillon
of Anson, Maine.Jonathan
Roberts, a leading
driver at Rockingham
Park, will van in on
race day to
sulky-sit the 6
year-old son of
Western Ideal who
took his lifetime
mark of 1:50.1 last
season at The
Meadowlands and who
boasts a recent
half-mile seasonal
best score of 1:52.4
at Saratoga.
No stranger to the
Pine Tree State,
Chewy Gross
treks up I-95 from
Harrington Raceway
on Friday to be
placed under the
care of local
trainer Valerie
Grondin courtesy of
New York state owner
Martin Scharf. The
veteran pacing
machine equaled the
state of Maine
pacing standard of
1:52.4 at Bangor
Raceway last season;
a mark that was
originally
established by
Hotrod Falcon at
Scarborough Downs in
1993. The 9-year-old
son of Jenna’s Beach
Boy whose career
best of 1:49.3 at
taken at Plainridge
Racecourse still
stands as the
fastest clocking by
an aged gelding in
New England shows no
apparent concession
to age having just
recently passed the
$800,000 plateau in
lifetime purse
earnings.
Armbro Damien’s
invitation paves the
way for the return
to the seaside oval
by Maine native Ron
Cushing who has been
tabbed to drive for
local owner John
Brophy of Castine,
Maine.Just
shy of the $300,000
career bankroll
mark, Armbro Damian
was a recent
combatant at
Rockingham Park
where his blazing
1:50.3 effort was
good enough for
third place in the
final of the $50,000
New Hampshire
Sweepstakes.
Diamonds Revenge
matches up well for
trainer/driver
Brewer Adams and the
Foulk Stables of
Dover Delaware
having just passed
the $200,000
lifetime earnings
level last week at
Harrington Raceway –
his lifetime mark of
1:52.1, taken on
Harrington’s
twice-around stands
him in good stead.
Johnny Walker,
campaigned by the
brother and sister
team of Bobby and
Patty Sumner for
owners Gary and
Beverly Paganelli
completes the
Invitational field.
The hard-hitting son
of Keystone Raider
enters off
back-to-back
sterling prep
efforts at Yonkers
raceway following a
recent layoff and
currently rides an
impressive four-race
win streak over
Open-level
competition along
the Michigan
circuit.
The $20,000 Mid
Summer Classic
has been carded as
the ninth race on
the Friday twilight
card at Scarborough
Downs with first
Post time scheduled
for 4:15 pm (EDT).
In conjunction with
the Town of
Scarborough’s 350th
anniversary free
Re/Max tethered hot
air balloon rides
will be available on
the grandstand lawn
between the hours of
6 and 8 pm.
Scarborough Downs
proudly showcases
live harness racing
every Thursday,
Friday and Saturday
evening at 4:15 pm
(EDT). The popular
Sunday matinees
feature a 1:30 pm
post time.
The $20,000 Mid
Summer
Classic
Friday July 11, 2008
– Race 9 – Approx.
Post 7:00 pm
Post
Horse
Driver
Trainer
ML Odds
1 – Diamonds
Revenge
Brewer
Adams
Brewer
Adams 5-1
2 – Armbro
Damien
Ron
Cushing
John Gerow
9-2
3 – Chewy
Gross TBA
Valerie
Grondin 7-2
4 – Ideal
Conditions Jonathan
Roberts Joseph
Nelson
5-2
5 – Johnny
Walker
Robert
Sumner
Patricia
Sumner 7-1
