Scarborough Downs will pay tribute to ten race horses who are retiring this season with a special ceremony during the last day of the 2011 racing season, Sunday December 18th. Post time is 12:05 pm. There ceremony will take place after Race 6.

The event will honor nine 14-year-old Standardbred racehorses that at one time raced at the Downs during their racing careers, as well as one early retiree. All Standardbred race horses retire at the end of their 14th year, as mandated by the US Trotting Association.

“These noble animals have delighted us at the races year after year and now that their athletic careers have come to conclusion, it's only fitting that they be sent off to retirement in the grandest manner,” said Publicity Director, Mike Sweeney. “Standardbred race horses are versatile and sturdy stock and these ten have bright futures and many years left ahead of them. We send them off to their new careers with appreciation for past accomplishments and anticipation of great things to come.”

The group of horses scheduled to participate in the ceremony, which is made up of 7 pacers and 3 trotters, all “boys,” is: MIGHTY MAORI A, ALL ACTION SON N, CHIPS FLY, SOUTHWIND MOUNTAIN, PASSION HURRICANE, ROYAS ROMEO, NIPAS ONE, SOUTHVIEW SABRE, BERLEY, and CC BAG A LUCK. CC BAG A LUCK, aged 13, is retiring one year early and will be participating in the ceremony.

Each horse will be presented with a blanket that has been embroidered with its name and fastest lifetime mark, and will be led in a procession from the paddock to the Winner’s Circle by each of the owners.

A special program is being put together with pictures and write-ups of each horse (listing everything from favorite snack to career accomplishments), and what their retirement plans are. Some will become riding horses, some are already champion show horses, and some will enjoy a quiet retirement on a farm. Horses that are up for adoption will have the owner’s contact information listed.

The name Standardbred originated because the early trotters (pacers would not come into the picture until later) were required to reach a certain standard of time for the mile distance in order be registered as part of the new breed. The mile is still the standard distance covered in nearly every harness race. The Standardbred breed is a versatile one, and its easy temperament makes it an ideal breed.

The Maine Standardbred Pleasure Horse Organization, an organization which retrains Standardbreds to become riding, or “pleasure” horses, will have an information booth in the Grandstand, and the public will have access to the horses used for marshaling. Scarborough Downs live racing post time is 12:05 pm. Admission is free.

For more information, contact Susan Higgins at 207-883-4331 x1002 or via cell phone at 207-756-9732