From the region's fastest horses to a horse-vs.-man race and everything in between, this weekend’s Atlantic Breeders Crown and its festivities at Truro Raceway is certain to be the thanksgiving weekend entertainment capital of

Nova Scotia.

Four rich $25,000 finals for pacers are set to flagship the weekend. On the three-year-old pacing side of things there’s the almighty and ever-so-popular Allbentouttashape, who has come back strongly after a short string of defeats. There is also plenty of talk surrounding Meridian Magic, as she closes in on Cam Fella’s consecutive win record (to read a feature article from the October, 2010 edition of Trot Magazine, click here). The two-year-olds are even more impressive, as all eyes will be on the previously undefeated Putnams Power when he goes up against Pictonians Souwest for the first time since he handed him his first loss in North Sydney just two weeks ago.

The $6,000 trotting finals look to be hotly-contested affairs as well, as both races for two and three-year-olds are highly undecided.

Points collected in Atlantic Sires Stakes events throughout the year have been accumulated to determine which horses make it to the finals of the Atlantic Breeders Crown. Horses which didn’t earn enough points to make the finals on Sunday will be in action Saturday during a slew of $5,000 consolations.

But the excitement doesn’t end there, as a smorgasbord of social events is also planned for the weekend. One of the main attractions for non-racing fans is the Battle of the Species: Horse Vs. Man race where a local and regionally renowned high school runner, Nick Wood, will be competing against Nova Scotia’s largest racehorse, River Cane. Harness Racing fans are sure to love this, too, as both horse and man will compete to determine which species reigns supreme!

The 'two feet against four hooves' race, set for Saturday, October 9, is not driven for profitable gains, but to help raise funds for the IWK sick children hospital in Halifax. Through generous monetary donations and items to be raffled off during the weekend, money will be raised to help the great facility. The event will see runner Nick Wood travel a half mile (one lap around Truro Raceway) and the horse going double the distance for a complete mile.

Some other exciting festivities leave the racetrack and move into the surrounding Truro area and beyond. They include a wine tasting tour through Nova Scotia’s north shore and a golf tournament scheduled for Friday, a yearling sale on Friday night, and even tidal bore rafting and a day at the spa.

All of the events and details surrounding Atlantic Breeders Crown weekend can be found on the official ABC 2010 website. There are also plenty of ways to stay connected with the festivities – joining the conversation online through Facebook and other social networking sites is certainly the easiest way to go. The Atlantic Breeders Crown 2010 official Facebook page has been established, and you can follow along with the Battle of the Species: Horse Vs. Man details and news as well.

(ABC)