He's not the horse he was, but Wayne LA is still a winner. Quebec's former pacing champion, now seven, has won twice in recent weeks at Rideau Carleton Raceway

, his first victories since the summer of 2007.

He’s in to go again Sunday in a $12,100 pace, and a victory would leave him just shy of $300,000 in career earnings.

Trainer Eric Gnocchini said the Yankee Cam stallion has always had suspensory problems in a front foot. They hindered his three-year-old season and came to a head at five after he paced a career-best mile of 1:51 at Hippodrome de Montreal in an elimination of the $100,000 Prix du Quebec (where he faded to ninth in the final as short-priced favourite).

"I qualified him last year but we held off racing him because I didn't think the leg was strong enough," he said.

Owned by Lorraine Auger, Wayne LA still holds the Hippodrome de Montreal track record for two-year-old pacers, 1:51.4. His 21 career wins include the $50,000 Coupe de L'Avenir at two and the $75,000 Prix du Quebec at four. As a three-year-old, he finished third in a $100,000 division of the Burlington Stakes at Woodbine.

He'll never race again in stakes company but it's still a joy to see him back in the winner's circle, Gnocchini said. "The way he carries on the next day, he knows what he accomplished," he said.

Wayne LA has done stallion duty at Auger's farm, with his small first crop due to make their racing debut in 2010.

To view Sunday's harness racing entries, click here.

(Trot Insider exclusive by Paul Delean)