Big night of racing at Connell Park on Friday, Aug. 4
The stacked card includes The Maritimer Stakes and the Kelti Burnett Memorial Invitational Pace
Horse Racing New Brunswick jumps back into action on Friday with a super-stacked program beginning at 5:30 p.m. at Connell Park Raceway in Woodstock.
The evening’s program features the timeless classic, The Maritimer Stake, for three-year-old fillies and the Kelti Burnett MemorialInvitational Pace.
The night of racing will offer $48,700 in purse money, including the$23,600 Maritimer, the $ 8000 Kelti Burnett, and two top overnight events.
John H Davies Memorial trot will have riders vie for $4,000, while Canada aged pacing mares, second leg, will run for $5,000.
In the Kelti Burnett Memorial, all eyes will be on the newcomer American History, owned by Patrick Hill of Fredericton.
He is fresh off a second-place effort at Woodbine Mohawk Park and paced his mile in 1:49.1. He is being prepped for an appearance in the prestigious Gold Cup and Saucer later this month at Red Shores Charlottetown. He will score from post-four.
Dale Spence picks up the driving assignment, and his wife Mackenzie handles the training chores. He will have a steep test, including the returning champ of the Kelti Burnett, Time To Dance and Marc Campbell running from post five.
Others in the Kelti Burnett Memorial are American Risk ( Todd Trites ), Mantario ( Myles Heffernan) ), No Plan Intended ( Corey Macpherson ), and Pick A Genre ( Mitchell Mark Downey ).
The $23,600 Maritimer looks like a battle of fillies from posts one and two. Our Girl Annie and Corey Macpherson ride a two-race win streak and has banked over $38,000 this year.
Singing Ramona will have the rail position with Marc Campbell and is seven of nine in the top three on the year. Others on the race include Silent Movie Star ( Dale Spence ), Howmac Jazzy Girl ( Todd Trites ) and Woodmere Jade ( Myles Heffernan).
In the Standardbred Canada sponsored aged mares, Plain Jane is fresh off an eye-catching win at Truro in 1:53.1. She has the Maritime dash king Marc Campbell as trainer and driver from post two.
Therealprincess, owned by Dr. Mitchell Downey, will look for a solid effort from post three. She was fourth in last week’s Walter Dale Memorial racing against the boys. Chelski makes her second start on Maritime soil, off a second-place effort in her debut, charted in 1:54.4.
Other starters in the second leg are Vines To Heaven ( Todd Trites ) and J J Breanne and John Davidson.
In the John H. Davies trot, his two sons, Ivan Davies and Owen Davies, will harness up starters in their dad’s memorial race.
Todd Trites will drive the Owen Davies trainee and own Gone Madigan from post three, while Ivan Davies will have the U.S-owned Marauder Seelster from post four.
They’ll have last year’s winner of the Davies Memorial trot to contend with as 82-time winner Freddie will have post two for Marc Campbell.
Tequila Tuesday hopes Friday will be his night for driver Myles Heffernan, rounding out the trotting event. Purse is a nice payday of $4,000.
