He started his harness racing career decades ago clearing stones from the racing surface at Bangor Raceway. Today, he starts the races at the Cumberland Fair. In between he has spent time running racetracks from Illinois to Maine and presiding over the goings-on as a judge.

Though Roger Smith has not done everything associated with racetracks -- never been a race secretary -- he certainly has done more than a fair share of miscellaneous duties.

If lineage counts when selecting yearlings, then apparently it can transfer to humans involved in the sport as well. Roger's Dad (and an associate) owned the Rockwood Farm Stables when Roger was a boy. When Roger mustered out of the Air Force in 1962-63, his father and Alan Mollison had made a bid and were operating Bass Park in Bangor. His first "official" job at the raceway was in the starting car.

"I remember the first race I ever started," said Smith. "The tractor was still on the track and was coming at me, so I had a recall."

Smith holds another distinction. He applied to the first officials school held at the USTA offices in Columbus, Ohio. "It was the early sixties, and they had over 1,000 applications for 10 spots. I interviewed, and during the course of the questioning was asked what I eventually wanted to do, so I told the truth and said, 'my aspiration is to be a general manager of a racetrack.' I got accepted."

"Throughout his career, both as a presiding judge and general manager, Smith had the good fortune to work under men who not only knew the sport intimately, but also knew how to control the variety of elements around the track. Men like Pres Hobson, Al Thomas and Chet Boyle all played instrumental parts in this young man's racetrack education.

After a brief stay at Foxboro Raceway in Massachusetts, Ogden Corporation offered him a position. In 1973, he started with Ogden at Wheeling Downs in West Virginia, where he served as an assistant general manager and associate judge. Shortly thereafter, Ogden assumed control of Scarborough Downs, so Smith, after explaining to Ogden management how Maine racing worked, moved back north to assume control at the seaside oval.

"In 1976-77, after I came to Scarborough, the track had its first positive cash flow under Ogden ownership. Shortly after, Joe Ricci walked in and wanted to buy it, so Ogden sold it to him, and I went to Fairmount Park in Illinois," said Smith. "Unlike my other track experiences, I couldn't deal with the variety of unions the track had, so I offered to resign."

In the early 80's, Smith ran a computer company in New Jersey, while his wife, Mindy, worked at The Meadowlands. The yearning for Maine began to gnaw, so he told his wife he wanted to go back home.

The couple did, and Roger started working for $10-a-day as a patrol judge.

When asked what his favorite job in harness racing was, Smith quickly responded, "starter. I began my career doing it, and it fascinates me because each race presents a separate challenge. Getting a field away all in line is perhaps my favorite accomplishment. I tend to go too fast, which I know, but slowing down the gate causes more problems than it solves. Waiting on horses gets you in trouble."

As with others of his generation, Smith believes the "glory days" of the sport reside behind him. "We were fortunate enough to be involved in the industry at its peak," said Smith. "Then you could make a good living. Today, the young people do not find those options exist. From the management perspective, we sat on our hands too long and turned off a lot of customers. We race too many days now. And to make matters worse, we're relying on the slots machines for our future."

Despite his misgivings, Smith remains optimistic about the sport. Not bad for a fellow that started out picking up rocks on a racetrack.

BITS, BOOTS, & BRIDLES: Saturday, at the Cumberland Fair dining room in the clubhouse, the industry will honor Ival "Buddy" Cianchette for his decades of dedication and service to Maine harness racing . . . as the MSBS heads into the homestretch, patterns have begun to emerge, especially with the race favorites barred from the wagering . . . along those lines, Pembroke Whitney, barred from the betting at Farmington, won to keep her undefeated streak alive . . . No Peeking, also barred in her division, was not so lucky, finishing third . . . the most contentious bunch in the stakes remains the two year-old pacing fillies; nine separate individuals have each won one leg . . . Most Dominant Sire Sept.: Neutralize, on the pacing side, has accounted for almost half the wins in the stakes; Muscilini, on the trotting side, has begun to emerge as a force to reckon with . . . Well Said won the Little Brown Jug last week easily despite the rain-soaked surface . . .