From Scarborough Downs

SCARBOROUGH – Scarborough Downs hosted its final live harness racing card last Saturday after 70 years of operation.

Located on Payne Rd, Scarborough Downs opened as a thoroughbred racetrack in 1950. Both thoroughbred and harness racing cards were hosted from 1969 through 1971, with harness racing taking over entirely from 1972 onward.

Reasons for the closure include decreases in revenues as a result of opening of the Oxford Casino in 2012; ongoing development of track property following its sale in 2018; operational and financial challenges faced through Covid-19 protocols this season; and the desire of the harness racing industry to transition toward a more modern facility, a desire which the Downs cannot accommodate at this point in time.

Scarborough Downs will remain open for simulcast wagering through the remainder of the year, and has been granted a license by the Maine Harness Racing Commission to begin operations as an Off Track Betting facility beginning in January.