Lead reinsman Kevin Switzer Jr. immediately put the 1/9 heavy favorite on the bike and led the field to an opening panel of :29.2, with Brutalizer (4-1) and Andy Harrington in a tight pocket.
As the group reached the halfway mark in 1:00.3, the outer flow began with Steve Wilson tipping Inquiring Mind, followed by Cain MacKenzie and Valyrian Steel opening their second cover.
As the competitors advanced, Switzer Jr. kicked. the throttle in the back lane and hit the third stanza in 1:29.3, giving Brutalizer some daylight and allowing Harrington to muscle his way out around the final turn and start a battle down to the wire.
Big Al M continued to hold the upper hand over the challengers as the 7-year-old son of Anders Bluestone kept up his momentum and prevailed by three parts of a length in 1:59.4. Owned and trained by Zach Vickerson, it was his ninth win of the season and 31st of his career. He paid back $2.20 and increased his lifetime bankroll to $520,705.
BIG AL M REPEAT
Brutalizer finished second; Valyrian Steel came third.
Driver Kevin Switzer Jr. recorded four wins on the program, with Andy Harrington, Dave Ingraham and Mike Stevenson taking a pair each.
Veteran teamster ‘Double-digit Dave’ Ingraham is quickly approaching an 8,000 career win milestone and now stands at 7,996. When racing resumes on Sunday (Nov. 16) at First Tracks Cumberland with a 13-race card, Ingraham is programmed with ten runs. The 63-year-old has been riding harness horses since 1980 and has 69 wins this year with earnings of $584,740. During his 45-year career, he has ridden winners of more than $32 million and enjoyed a dozen seasons with a million or more in earnings. His statistically best year was 1995, when the Maine native won 403 races and $2.7 million in purses.
The Pick 5 starts with the third race; our Pick 4 highlights the tenth, and our High-Five Pentafecta in the final – all with a low takeout of 16%.
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.
Follow us on Facebook at @FirstTracksCumberland.
For full race results, click here: American trotting results.
Through Chris Tullyfor First Tracks Cumberland
#Big #strong #DoubleDigit #Dave #eyes