Big Al M pulls off eight-hole shrug for tenth win of the season

CUMBERLAND, ME – Big Al M (Anders Blauwsteen) conquered the eight holes and sprinted to a wire-to-wire harness race on Saturday (Nov. 22) at Cumberland Raceway, earning his second $5,500 conditioned trotting feature in as many weeks.

As Wes Brown’s starting gate wings flapped, top team star Kevin Switzer Jr. the 1/5 favorite out in a search for the front. Mike Stevenson secured To My Credit (10-1) in the pocket, while Dave Ingraham and Inquiring Mind (11-1) finished third.

After a taxing opening panel of :28.1, the duo was able to soften the pace as they commanded and moved towards midpoint. Big Al M arrived at halftime in 58.1, with Valyrian Steel (9-1, Cain MacKenzie) crossing first, followed by Brutalizer (5-1, Andy Harrington) in second.

No changes in the order followed, as Switzer Jr. had control of the field through the 1:28 third station, when Harrington Brutalizer tapped three-wide to take his shot at the leader.

While the long ride was underway and a host of challengers were valiantly trying to catch the pacesetter, Switzer Jr. the 7-year-old son of Anders Bluestone handled to a 2-1/4 length victory in 1:59.1.

BIG AL M REPEAT

Owned and trained by Zach Vickerson, it was his tenth win of the season and 32^i.e of his career. With a $2.60 return, he increased his lifetime bankroll to $523,455.

Inquiring Mind finished second; Brutalizer came third.

Driver Kevin Switzer Jr. racked up five wins on the program, and Mike Stevenson picked up a double, both of which lit up the board. His own Coocooforcoco (2:00.1) paid $35.20 to win, and Kandace Niles’ Sweet Scarlett (2:02) returned $39.40.

Racing resumes on Sunday (November 23) at Cumberland. The Pick 5 starts with the third race; our Pick 4 highlights the ninth, and our High-Five Pentafecta in the final – all with a low takeout of 16%. Post time is 10:55 am for the 12-race card.

Our extended pari-mutuel gathering during the Winter Festival enjoys weekend action throughout the month of November. Cumberland Raceway will transition to three days of racing per week (Friday-Saturday) beginning December 5. The 18-day competition runs until December 21, 2025.

For more information visit our website: https://firsttrackscumberland.com/

Follow us on Facebook at @FirstTracksCumberland.

For full race results, click here: American trotting results.

Through Chris Tullyfor First Tracks Cumberland