Fredericton Raceway's reigning Horse of the Year will have a new driver in the sulky during the feature race on

Thursday, August 13.

Elm Grove Camrose will be piloted by Saint John-based driver Sam Hodgin and will leave from Post 3 in the eight-horse field. Hodgin enjoyed a productive week in Woodstock recently, and gets the call from owner-trainer Paul Burgess of Fredericton. Regular driver Bill Watts is with a string of horses getting set for Old Home Week competition in Charlottetown, PEI.

Elm Grove Camrose is coming off a solid second-place finish against Walter Dale Memorial winner All Star Dragon. Owned and trained by former local hockey and baseball standout Stacy Gay, All Star Dragon earned a sharp third-place performance in the $10,000 Robert McCain Memorial Invitational Pace at Connell Park Raceway on Friday, August 7.

Others involved in Thursday’s $1,400 feature include Power Flex (PP4, S.Trites), Nicoles Baby (PP5, M. Haig), The Rabbit (PP6, Lonny Stokes) and Escape Plan (PP7, Philip Hodgson). Both Power Flex and The Rabbit earned victories in Woodstock. The big event is carded as Race 8.

It will be the final program of live racing in Fredericton until activity during the Fredericton Exhibition Week, which begins Labour Day with a doubleheader. Many horses owned and based in New Brunswick will compete in Charlottetown, PEI with the 50th Gold Cup and Saucer scheduled for Saturday, August 22.

Live racing will return to Saint John’s Exhibition Park Raceway this Sunday, August 16 with a 1:00 p.m. first-race post time. Fredericton’s first of nine races will start at 7:00 p.m.

To view the harness racing entries for Thursday at Fredericton, click here.

(With files from HRNB)