Scarborough Downs open the 2012 live harness racing season this weekend with two days of racing with 11 dashes on each card. The entry box was overflowing with all but two races with eight entries and all but five races with also-eligibles.

Missing from the cards is the presence of leading driver Shawn Gray, who has migrated to New York and will not return to Maine to race regularly this season. Gray is currently the top driver at Buffalo Raceway where he has 85 wins on the short season and possesses a .376 UDRS.

Last year’s leading driver Kevin Switzer, Jr. will be competing in a majority of races this weekend. Switz, Jr. is spending his weekdays in Monticello enjoying success, when he has had twice won 4 races on the same card. He will spending his weekends at Scarborough until Tioga and Vernon open in May, when he will be staying in New York to compete and will not be returning to Scarborough.

His father, Kevin Switzer, Sr., recently announced that he was retiring from catch driving. Switzer, who turned 55 on Monday, said that his decision to retire was partly due to his poor attitude towards the industry after the referendum loss last fall, to the point where he gave his helmet to his son and said he wasn’t putting it back on. He “sweetened up” over the winter, and has purchased a new helmet and will back competing this season.

With Saratoga Raceway dark due to an outbreak of strangles, two of their leading drivers are scheduled to appear at the seaside oval. Saratoga leading driver Billy Dobson will make his Maine debut along with the return of Chris Long, who has had success at Saratoga after leaving the Pine Tree State a few years ago.

The purse structure at Scarborough is the same as last fall to start the season. The race office is looking at the success that Hollywood Casino has had this winter, their handle has been consistently rising, and the opening of Oxford’s casino in early summer. That success will hopefully result in higher purses soon and the race office has not ruled out the profitable late closers this year.

The racetrack is in excellent condition for this time of the year. After three qualifying sessions, there have been seven sub-two minute miles. Expect more on opening day as a nice free-for-all is carded for race 10 and a nice co-feature $15,000 claimer as the ninth race.