Stakes action on Saturday, Sept. 7 at Connell Park Raceway in Woodstock, N.B. resulted in two new track records for two-year-olds.

One Wicked Man continued the solid start to his career, and added a track record to his resume in the $21,200 Milton Downey Memorial for two-year-old male pacers.

Kenny Arsenault asked One Wicked Man ($4.50; pictured above) to sit off the early speed and settled into fifth as Like A King (Adam Merner) yielded to Prince Malicious (Jason Hughes) through a :28.4 opening quarter. Approaching the :59.1 half, Arsenault gave One Wicked Man his marching orders and the rookie pacer obliged willingly. Clearing to the top through a 1:28.2 third station, One Wicked Man paced hom in :29.1 to trip the timer in a track record 1:57.3.

Prince Malicious finished second, 1-1/4 lengths in arrears, with Sergeant Crowley (Myles Heffernan) best of the rest in third.

Arsenault also handles the training on One Wicked Man (McWicked - Alexander Valley) for owner James Perrot of Charlottetown, P.E.I. The bay now boasts five wins in six starts with $31,627 in earnings. 

The former record for two-year-old colt pacers was 1:59.2, taken by Argo Flutie more than 26 years ago on July 24, 1998.

The fillies were split into two $11,200 divisions, with Lady Hess ($6.80) taking the faster of the two splits while establishing a new track standard for her age, sex and gait.

Public choice Jafetica (Heffernan) had the early command of this one before Lady Hess and Adam Merner worked their way to the top from post five. After a :29.4 opening panel and 1:00.1 half, Lady Hess maintained her position and confidently cruised home without much of a challenge. Her two-length advantage at the 1:29.1 third quarter widened to nearly six at the wire, with the timer tripped in 1:58.3. Jafetica was next best, with Howmac Charger (Hughes) the show finisher.

Jamie Smith trains Lady Hess (Heston Blue Chip - Abes Lady) for the Groupof7 Stable of Charlottetown, P.E.I. She now sports three wins in seven starts, with $18,152 in earnings.

The mile time for Lady Hess was two-fifths of a second better than Chip Of Evil's 1:59 mile from this stakes event one year ago.

My Happy Place ($4.80) might not have been as fast, but she was just as impressive in her Downey Memorial division. Gilles Barrieau guided the filly to a wire-to-wire score in 2:00 to stay perfect in three lifetime appearances. Pownalbay Colleen (Brodie MacPhee) was next best, 5-1/4 lengths off the leader, with second choice Woodmere Flojo (Merner) rallying for show dough.

A daughter of Shadow Play - Smilesplace, My Happy Place is trained by Ron Matheson for owner Patrick Morris of Charlottetown. Her purse earnings increased to $17,510 with the victory.

Seven-year-old Press Time ($3.00) got himself some ink for the second straight week in the $2,500 Winners Over class, going gate-to-wire in 1:55.1 for driver Hughes, trainer Averil Hunter and local owner Zachary Cougle.

Five-year-old Brazen Seelster ($9.10) kicked off the card with a maiden-breaking score for Barrieau and trainer-owner Robert MacSorley of Hanwell, N.B. The win marked MacSorley's first training win since the late 1980s.

For the results from Saturday's card of harness racing in New Brunswick, click the following link: Saturday Results - Connell Park (Woodstock, N.B.).

(Standardbred Canada; replay of My Happy Place's win not available)