SCARBOROUGH, Maine — Maine’s harness racing season begins Saturday when the gates at Scarborough Downs swing open for its 66th year.
Racing will be held at 1:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
More than 200 horses have entered to qualify this spring, a contrast to the weather-plagued 2015 season when adjustments were made to the opening schedule because of a long winter and low horse population.
“We’re extremely happy with the number of horses entered for the opening weekend cards, and those numbers should translate into very competitive racing,” Scarborough Downs Director of Operations Steve Cobbett said in a news release, “Currently the staff is putting the finishing touches on all our preparations, and we’ll be ready and excited to welcome the large expected crowds on opening day.”
Scarborough will host a total of 101 race dates this season, ending on Sunday, Dec. 4, while harness racing also will be held at Bangor Raceway and on the fair circuit for a total of 207 racing dates statewide.
Bangor will hold the bulk of its 49-race schedule from May 7 to July 22 with a few dates in August and September and then seven in October and eight in November.
The fair circuit begins on July 29 at Northern Maine Fair in Presque Isle and then moves to Topsham, Skowhegan, Union, Windsor, Oxford, Farmington, Cumberland and concludes at Fryeburg (Oct. 3-9).
Scarborough will hold Saturday-Sunday racing for four weekends before adding Fridays to its rotation on April 22.