The closure of Scarborough Downs after a 70-year run leaves Hollywood Casino and Raceway in Bangor as the state’s only commercial harness racing facility.
However, that development isn’t likely to negatively impact those who earn their living based at the Bangor facility.
Mike Cushing, the president of the Maine Harness Horsemen’s Association, and Henry Jennings, the executive director of the Maine Harness Racing Commission, said there is a plan in the works to hold racing in 2021 at the Cumberland Fairgrounds.
Jennings said an investor group intends to lease that facility and offer a harness racing schedule similar in scope to the Scarborough race meet. He said it is an interim step for the group, which would like to eventually build a track in southern Maine.
Jennings said the people seeking to lease Cumberland Fairgrounds and track officials at Bangor Raceway have already had positive discussions about the racing schedule.
Cumberland Fairgrounds is owned by the Cumberland Farmers Club, so it is not a commercial track like Bangor Raceway.
Having racing at Cumberland would be good news for the drivers, trainers and track personnel at Hollywood Casino and Raceway, even though Bangor would have more racing dates if Cumberland did not host race meets.
Cushing, who owns harness horses, said it is vital for harness racing to have an established entity in southern Maine.
“If we don’t have one in southern Maine, it would diminish the horse supply,” Cushing said.
“A lot of the horses are stabled in southern Maine,” Jennings said.
Having only one track offering consistent race dates likely would force horse owners to get out of the business or relocate to another state.
There are eight state fairs that offer weeklong harness racing during their events. That will be true for Cumberland Fairgrounds, which will sponsor a week of racing during its fair but also will have racing two days a week during the regular racing season.
Scarborough Downs and Bangor Raceway had a healthy relationship that benefitted the industry in Maine, Cushing said.
This year, Bangor Raceway held its races on Wednesdays and Sundays while Scarborough Downs raced on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
With two tracks sharing race dates, horse owners could remain in the state and race at both tracks.
Maine’s 2021 harness race dates are expected to be released later sometime in the next four to six weeks. Jennings said Bangor Raceway is expected to race two days a week in May, June, July, October and early November and have three or four total dates in September during the fair season.
The proposed starting date in Bangor is May 5. That will mark the start of the 143rd harness racing season at Bass Park.
Harness racing was significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic this season, which altered the start of the racing. Racing began at Bangor Raceway in August, three months later than usual, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Racing was delayed until Hollywood Casino reopened and until a COVID-19 testing facility in the parking lot was relocated.
It was the financial fallout from the pandemic that helped bring down the curtain on Scarborough Downs.