Horse Racing New Brunswick (HRNB) will host the annual running of the prestigious Barrieau - McIsaac Stakes, named in honour of two legends not only in Saint John but all of the Maritimes, on Saturday, July 9 at Exhibition Park Raceway.
Saturday's race card will get underway at 1 p.m. The stakes final has a lucrative purse of $41,470 and has been carded as Race 5 with the full field of eight starters.
One dominant stakes horse in the last two years has no doubt been Fern Hill General from the stable of veteran trainer and driver Earl Smith. He has drawn the coveted rail position in the rich final. He's owned by the tandem of Peter Smith and Gerald Morrissey, both of P.E.I.
Fern Hill General is a son of Malicious, a top producing sire on P.E.I. 'The General' sports a life's mark of 1:55.1 taken at two and Brodie MacPhee has been the driver in all of his lifetime starts. He won his elimination last week over a sloppy track in 2:01.1.
Bettors have had a lot of confidence in this pacer, as only four times in his career has he not been the favourite in his 19 starts. This horse likes to sit up close to the action, so with the inside post, he should manage a good trip.
Fern Hill Gusto showed his grittiness in last week's elimination victory for trainer/driver Marc Campbell after a first-over move just past the quarter. 'Gusto' was parked the rest of the way last Saturday in the Barrieau - McIsaac but that didn't stop the pacer winning over a heavy track in 2:03.2.
The Stonebridge Terror colt took a new record this season after a thrilling 1:54.4 win in the Maritime Breeders two weeks ago, holding off a surging Alldawaytocardigan, who also will compete in Saturday's final. He has earned just over $34,000 in 14 career starts.
Campbell has used him in many ways over his career and versatility will increase his chances in the final. He was a winner in his elimination over the sloppy going in 2:03.2.
Scoring from Post 3 for owner Walter Simmons and trainer Wade Sorrie will be Howmac Maximus, who was purchased as a yearling for $9,000 and came from the much respected Howmac Farms. Last week, catch-driver Todd Trites took the pacer back and he was a fast-closing fourth at the wire to catch a berth in the final. He took his lifetime mark at two and has earned just over $,25,000 lifetime. With Post 3, the Articulator gelding should get a good trip for Dale Spence, and he is another horse that is extremely versatile. As it usually does, it will come down to what type of trip he gets, but he will be one to watch.
The only filly in the final has drawn Post 4. To say she has New Brunswick connections is an understatement. Orrsterror was bred by Saint John's Dale Orr, who co-owned with Robert Orr. She spent the winter in Saint John and was under the watchful eye of trainer Gordon White as she made her way back to the races before being sent to Barrieau, now a resident of Prince Edward Island. Stephen Mason won with her earlier this season at Exhibition Park in 2:04. The daughter of Stonebridge Terror has more than $14,000 earned in her young career. Four starts ago, she paced her fastest ever mile in the Turner Stakes at Truro Raceway, finishing third, individually timed in 1:56.4. She sports a lifetime mark of 1:59.1.
Although she lacks experience compared to some of the more seasoned three-year-olds, Orrsterror has lots of things going for her. The filly is peaking right now and comes off a second place effort in the elimination of the Barrieau - McIsaac last week. She was race timed in 2:01.4 over the heavy track.
Orrsterror will have the services of Saint John Hall of Fame inductee and O'Brien Award winner Gilles Barrieau in the bike for the finale. She's a versatile filly and really can throw in a great last quarter when she is in striking distance. Saturday's finale marks just the filly's ninth lifetime start, and she will be pressed by the 'boys' in the field, but she showed last week that she isn't be a pushover.
Earl Watts is no stranger to stake success on the Maritime stakes circuit and he co-owns the five-horse in the final of the Barrieau McIsaac with Soul Assassin. David Dowling will drive the Malicious gelding, who is co-owned by the master of the Windermere Farms in P.E.I. Hollis Newson and Roger Burns also share ownership of the pacer, who was purchased as a yearling for a lofty price tag of $35,000. He has earned a good portion of that back with close to $30,000 in his young career. Soul Assassin has raced three times previously at Exhibition Park and has never missed the top three. He will be looking to continue that trend and looks to take out his rivals on Saturday.
Alldawaytocardigan, this year's fastest winner in the final, will bust the gate from Post 6 for Myles Heffernan. He had the rail birds buzzing at Truro Raceway in the Turner Stakes back in June as he stepped to a sizzling record of 1:54.3. Alldawaytocardigan earned a berth in the final with one of the best performances of the eliminations. He was just quarter-length off the win last week despite getting parked and breathing a lot of Saint John air out there. Jackie Heffernan of Glace Bay, N.S. owns the son of Tobago Cays, who was purchased in the Atlantic Classic Yearling Sale for $17,500. He's already accumulated more than $31,000 in winnings. Alldawaytocardigan loves to go off the front end but has his work cut out for him from the six-hole. Heffernan will be looking for a bigtime start and should make it interesting despite the post.
Post 7 will go to Mitch, one of the big surprises from last week's elimination as he turned in a stellar second-place effort for driver Todd Trites. George Rennison trains the son of Stonebridge Terror who sports a lifetime mark of 1:58.2 taken at Truro Raceway. Hollis Newson co-owns Mitch which gives him ownership on two separate entities in the final eight. Ric McNutt and Debbie Denney also share part ownership in the pacer.
He will have to overcome the seven post in the final but who else but the leading dash winner the past two seasons at Exhibition Park, Trites will be looking to do just that.
Rounding out the field will be P.E.I-owned Zendayacougarbeach. There's nothing worse than having to be hampered by Post 8 on a half-mile track but that's the challenge for Zendayacougarbeach, who scores from the outside post. One thing he has going for him is that he can finish the mile strong. Last week, the speedy son of Cougar Hall ran into lots of traffic issues and rallied to get the fourth to make the final. Juanita and Alan MacLeod own the pacer, who turned out his best performances of his young career two weeks ago with a 1:55 clocking. He was bred by well known breeder William Andrew and this horse has the most career starts of the field as Saturday will mark his 22nd start. Post 8 will be one to overcome, but if the speed is solid up front and the fractions keep moving along, he's got a good shot.
Fans unable to head to the track for Saturday's final can catch the race live on Universum Media's YouTube channel or by visiting Horse Racing New Brunswick's official website. Wagering is available through HPIbet and at HRNB simulcast venues in Moncton and Fredericton.
To view Saturday's harness racing entries, click on the following link: Saturday Entries - Exhibition Park Raceway.
(With files from HRNB)