On a heavy, rain-soaked half mile dirt track, the harness racing season got under way Friday night in Yorkton, after the opening night was washed out a week earlier

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Driver Tyler Redwood, who topped the standings at the Yorkton Exhibition track in 2009, showed he was ready to fight for the top spot again taking the first race of the night with Good One. Redwood made it a two-win night with O JS Boy in the sixth race.

Veteran driver Edward Tracey, was back in Yorkton after a season’s absence in 2009, and took two wins opening night. In the second race of the night Tracey piloted HF Zeligs Glory to first place.

“It was a pretty good race. He raced good,” Tracey said of the four-year-old gelding’s performance. “He’s a solid horse.”

Glory is owned and trained by Mark Haining, so Tracey said it was simply a case of taking what the track and race gave him.

“You take it as it comes. That’s all you can do,” he said.

Then in the Yorkton This Week feature fifth race Tracey topped the seven horse field with Right On Willie.

“He raced super. He raced a big trip,” said Tracey of the gelding trained by Elaine Bell.

Again it was a catch drive for Tracey, who said while not his horses, “I kind of know the horses.”

Tracey, who raced in Yorkton in 2007 and 2008, as well as decades ago, said he is back this summer to develop his horses.

“I had a bunch of younger horses learning how to race,” he said, adding that step is easier in Yorkton where a 2:10 time gets you racing, while in Alberta you need a time of 1:56 to get qualified.

Asked if he was expecting a good season in Yorkton, Tracey said, “we always are, but it doesn’t always work out. We keep our fingers crossed a lot in this business.”

Glenn LeDrew also drove a pair of winners, talking Tajwon to the winner’s circle in the Custom Printers Ltd. seventh race, then finishing the night with back-to-back wins with Invincible Yankee in eighth. Both horses were trained by Shawn Worthen, who notched a training triple over the eight races.

Out Of Snorts was a winner in the $1,500 Fillies and Mares Open for driver Jeff Stone, trainer Kurt Hanson and owner Annabelle Pirie of Manitoba.

To view results, click here.

(A Trot Insider exclusive by Calvin Daniels)