A blockbuster card of racing was presented on Canada Day at Fredericton Raceway, and among the highlights was a track record performance by Serious Damage in the $6,000 Walter Dale Memorial Invitational Pace

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The seven-year-old gelded son of Allamerican Ingot-Serious Smile shaved one-fifth of a second off Outlawpositivcharg’s track standard of 1:55.2 for older pacing geldings when he toured the half-mile oval in 1:55.1.

With Kenny Arsenault calling the shots, Serious Damage was allowed to settle into the four-hole while the former track record holder, Outlawpositivcharg, took the field to the quarter pole in :28.2. Malek Hanover went into attack mode in the second quarter and was bridle-to-bridle with Outlawpositivcharg at the mid-way point in :57.4. Those two continued their battle to the three-quarter pole in 1:25.4, but hot on their heels was Serious Damage. Arsenault revved up the motor on the gelding who used a :29-second closing panel to prevail by a half-length margin over race favourite Malek Hanover. Outlawpositivcharg weakened late and finished a well-beaten third.

Wade Peconi of Breadalbane and Ryan MacPhee of Cornwall, PEI share ownership on the 18-time winner who improved his 2011 record to 2-4-0 in 10 starts with the track record-setting performance. He has banked more than $141,000 in his career.

The card also featured a quarter of ATSS divisions for three-year-old pacing fillies. In the first of three $7,340 “A” contests, Bemused roared to a career-best clocking of 1:57.4 for the duo of driver Mark McKinnon and trainer Marc Campbell. The daughter of Force Of Life-Yankee Checkers got away third before brushing to the top shortly past the mid-way point and then drawing clear to win by 2-1/4 lengths over K D Go Onn. Race favourite Forthena was a well-beaten third in the six-filly affair.

It was the first win of the season in eight tries for Bemused, who is now 2-for-21 in her career. The career winner in excess of $27,000 is owned by Greenoaks Farm of Mississauga, ON.

Acton Normal also got into the win column for the first time this season thanks to her 1:59.1 triumph in the second “A” division. Shane Bernard rolled the Toofunnyforwords-Call It Life miss through intervals of :29.2, 1:00.2 and 1:29.4 in the $7,340 tilt before using a :29.2 final frame to seal the deal by 2-1/4 lengths over Force Of Fire. Remember Wildroses tagged along to finish third.

Tom Weatherbie of Charlottetown, PEI owns and trains the photogenic filly, who snapped out of an 0-for-5 start to the season with the win. The career winner of close to $40,000 had a very productive 10-for-14 campaign in 2010.

The third “A” division belonged to Moon Landing, who went coast-to-coast in a time of 1:58.1 for driver Danny Romo and owner/trainer Patrick Eastwood of Saint John, NB. The daughter of Quick Comeback-Igiantstpfrpankind supplied splits of :29.3, 1:00.1 and 1:29.2 before snapping home in :28.4 to seal the deal by 1-1/2 lengths over race favourite Honey Do Jigtime. Ultimate Spirit took home the show dough.

The triumph improved Moon Landing’s 2011 record to 4-2-0 in six trips behind the starting gate, and it improved her overall resume to 7-6-1 in 17 tries. She went over $40,000 in career earnings with the win.

Countisfleet took the lone “B” division for a purse of $2,000 in a time of 2:00.2. It was a career-best clocking for the daughter of Benvolio Hanover-CR Blaze Of Glory, who went wire-to-wire for the tally over Alyssa Down and Elm Grove Fiesty.

Lonnie Stokes mapped out the winning trip for the Tommy Gunn trainee. She is now 4-for-8 in her career for owner Arthur Davidson of Saint John, NB.

Driver Gilles Barrieau held the hot hand on the 19-race program thanks to his six-win performance.

To view results for Friday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Friday Results – Fredericton Raceway.