A Sussex-owned horse will be among the top contenders in Sunday’s feature race, when harness racing action returns to Exhibition Park Raceway in Saint John.

Doctor Decimeter is coming off a lifetime best-effort during Woodstock’s Old Home Week for owner-breeder Gerald Alexander. The eight-year-old son of Largo paced in a new speed badge of 1:58.1 during the mid-week program at Connell Park Raceway.

Doctor Decimeter will leave from the outside post in a five-horse field competing for a $1,300 purse during the Sunday matinee. First race post time is 1: 00 p.m. Stephen Trites will take over the driving assignment on the 5-2 morning line favourite for Fredericton-based trainer Jimmy Smith.

Others involved in the headliner include Loustown (PP!, Mark Haig), Obie Viking (PP2, Scott Hubbard), Tobins Paradise (PP3, Sam Hodgin), and Dusty Lane Buster (PP4, Lonny Stokes).

Click here to view the harness racing entries for the Sunday, August 16 card at EPR.

The driver that successfully piloted Doctor Decimeter to the Woodstock triumph is unavailable at EPR Sunday. Gilles Barrieau has a high profile assignment in Charlottetown on the same afternoon, as he will attempt to qualify Along Came Polly for the 50th Gold Cup and Saucer. He will need a top three finish in Trial Two for the Gold Cup and Saucer in order to achieve that goal.

Barrieau also has the call on former Gold Cup winner Silent Swing in Saturday evening’s Trial One. Silent Swing’s most recent effort resulted in a solid second place finish to Bigtime Ball in 1:51.1 over sloppy track conditions at Mohawk Racetrack in Campbellville, Ont. Silent Swing is co-owned by Reg Petitpas of Shediac Bridge, NB and David Shea of Campbellville, Ont.

(With files from Horse Racing New Brunswick)