Woodmere Oleksiak stays hot
David Dowling drives to decisive victory in Saint John, N.B.
She racked up the headlines last week and this week is no different for Islandowned Woodmere Oleksiak as she captured one of the biggest races of the Atlantic Canadian harness racing season on Monday afternoon.
Leaving from Post 4 at Exhibition Park Raceway in Saint John, N.B., in the $18,765 Maritimer stake for three-yearold pacing fillies, Woodmere Oleksiak made an early break in stride but recovered to find herself in control of the race at the three-quarters. Driver David Dowling continued his surge forward to win by seven-and-a-half lengths in 1:59.3 for trainer Earl Watts and owners Hollis Newson of Cornwall, Windemere Farms of Hampshire, and Nova Scotia coowners Debbie Denney of Brooklyn and Ric McNutt of Onslow Mountain.
Second place in the championship stake went to Emilys Angel (Kenny Arsenault) with Pickpocket princess (Todd Trites) finishing third.
Also on the Saint John card, Islandbred Woodmere Rollnpop (Clare MacDonald) won the $13,7555 Milton Downey Memorial stake for two-yearold pacers in 2:01.1 over Tobins Rebel (Gilles Barrieau) and Nothing To Prove (Dowling). The rest of the holiday weekend was also laden with stakes across the Maritimes with Northside Downs in North Sydney, N.S., hosting the Atlantic Sires Stakes for two-year-old pacing fillies on Saturday afternoon.
Winsloe driver Marc Campbell cleaned up in rookie filly action at the Cape Breton oval as Streakazana was a 2:00 winner in her $10,040 A division for her Charlottetown-based ownership conglomerate and Ezra Express won the other split in 2:00.2 for owner Danica Ellis of Brookfield, N.S., both trained in the Campbell stable. The lone $2,500 B division for rookie fillies saw Campbell steer Roll with it jessie to victory in 2:02.3 for trainer Myles Heffernan Jr., and owner Austin Sorrie, formerly of Montague.
The Campbell hot streak continued Sunday afternoon at Inverness Raceway in Nova Scotia with Arc Light winning the $11,257 Nova Scotia stake for threeyear-old pacing fillies in 1:58.2 from his own stable for owner Grayland Farm of Pugwash, N.S.
The Atlantic Sires Stakes for threeyear-old pacing colts was also held at the Cape Breton village as Notorious won in 1:59.4 for trainer-driver Campbell in a $10,260 A division. The son of Malicious is owned by Darryl and Gordon MacLean of Winsloe and Shirley Symes of Springhill, N.S.
Red Dirt Boomer won the other $10,260 split in 1:58.1 for trainer-driver Gilles Barrieau and owner Daniel Ross of Belfast.
The stakes trail continues this coming week with the Atlantic Sires Stake threeyear-old pacing colts racing Saturday at Northside Downs and the Atlantic Sires Stakes for two-year-old pacing colts Sunday at Inverness along with the Nova Scotia Stake for two-year-old pacing fillies.
CHARLOTTETOWN
Due to the pending storm approaching the Maritimes, the Saturday race program at Red Shores at the Charlottetown Driving Park scheduled for 6 p.m. will be moved up earlier in the day to a first race post time of 11:30 a.m.
Red Shores officials will also monitor conditions and provide an update Saturday regarding Sunday’s program scheduled for 1 p..m at Red Shores at the Summerside Raceway.