Windemere Best Man capped off the 2025 opening day program on Sunday, June 1 at Inverness Raceway with a successful season's debut in the Winners Over Pace in rein to defending driving champion Redmond Doucet for trainer Lanny Hanscombe.

With a quick crossover move off the gate in the $2,000 top class, Windemere Best Man took control of the five-horse field and maintained a two-length lead through fractions of :29.4, :59.2 and 1:32 before doubling his winning margin through the stretch and hitting the wire a 2:01.2 winner over the fast track with a two-second variant due to the afternoon's windy conditions. The favoured Nova Scotia newcomer, Light My Shadow (Zach Mullins), made an unsuccessful first-over bid approaching the half while racing wide and never seriously threatened the 5-2 winner, who bested Eastcoast Invader (Monica Sutherland) in the end as that rival closed from last to edge out pocket-sitter Sunshine Lou (Campbell MacIsaac), the reigning Inverness Horse of the Year, in the race for place.

Windemere Best Man, who was a three-time winner last year after his own Inverness Horse of the Year campaign in 2023, earned his 21st career victory to go along with 22 seconds and 11 thirds in 101 starts. The seven-year-old Malicious-Art Blanche gelding races for local owners Simon Poirier and Chad MacDonnell.

Doucet also celebrated a victory in the season opener as the owner of One Can Dan, who was driven by Danny Gillis and bested stablemate Philthy Phil, also owned and driven by Doucet. The Doucet-owned duo were separated by just a half-length at the end of the 2:02.1 mile, more than 15 lengths ahead of their rivals. Lennan MacIsaac trains the pair of three-year-old pacing colts.

Travis MacLean took top driving honours on the seven-race card with a natural hat trick, including a pair of winners trained and owned by Angus MacLean.

The Inverness Raceway season got underway on Sunday after a week delay due to upgrades to the track's sound system, with work continuing over the next few weeks. Track management would like to thank everyone who made donations and supported its fundraising raffle.

Live harness racing will continue next Sunday, June 8 with post time at 1 p.m. ADT. The 2025 racing schedule includes Sunday afternoon or Wednesday evening programs weekly through October. To view the complete race date calendar, click here.

To view Sunday's harness racing results, click the following link: Sunday Results - Inverness Raceway.

(Standardbred Canada)