Soapbox: Maine Harness Racing Should Organize a Triple Crown of Boutique Meets

 

Closing day for Kentucky Downs was yesterday, and it was another banner meet for the 7-day, all-turf festival. Closer to home, the last couple (unsuccessful) proposals for reinvigorating Thoroughbred racing in Massachusetts have included shorter, more specialized meets.

Brief, boutique racing meets that have a narrow niche will likely only continue to become more popular in the sport. 

Which begs the question: What type of Standardbred boutique meets could we host in Maine?

Answer: The Pine State Triple Crown.

Turf Racing (Summer)

Aroostook Country, ME

Summer in The County is splendid, fertile green pastures abound, and there are a few holes in the fair racing calendar due to a few fairs recently discontinuing harness racing as part of their programming.

Let's make a turf racing festival for harness racing in Maine a thing, even if it just starts off as a 2-day event.

Beach Racing (Fall)

Scarborough, ME

The Laytown Racecourse has been hosting a 1-day meet for beach races in Ireland since 1868, and our Maine-based trainer Mike Graffam has fond memories of training his pacers and trotters at Scarborough's Pine Point Beach in the past.

Horses are already allowed on Pine Point Beach after October 1, and a temporary, 1-mile straight course that connects Pine Point Beach to Old Orchard Beach would be perfect for a 1-day beach meet in the fall.

Ice Racing (Winter)

Rangeley, ME

And finally, probably the most ambitious leg of the Pine State Triple Crown: Ice racing on Rangeley Lake. 

Skeptical? Once again, there's an international template to follow in Saint Moritz's annual White Turf festival.