The Little Saratoga Pacing Series kicked off the month of June at Dresden Raceway on Sunday afternoon with Arundel Hanover and Solitary Dancer taking their respective divisions.

The series, formerly known as the Mark Austin Memorial Series, is for non-winners of one race or $5,000 lifetime as of March 31. 

Arundel Hanover ($2.70), the 1-5 favourite in the $5,000 open division with a near perfect Western Fair Raceway record heading into his seventh career start, took a brief two-hole tuck approaching the half then wore down pacesetter Dance Captain for the half-length victory in 1:58.2, with Redneck Renegade following back in third.

 Lorne House drove the four-year-old Betting Line-Australia Hanover gelding, now a five-time winner, for London, Ont. trainer Greg Campbell and co-owner Terrance Campbell of Grand Bend, Ont. 

Following a maiden-breaking win in just her third career start a week and a half ago at Western Fair, Solitary Dancer ($5.10) lowered her mark to 2:00.2 in the $5,000 division for fillies and mares, with Garrett Rooney working out the winning trip as one of two trailers in an overflow field of nine. After landing mid-pack, Solitary Dancer advanced into a gaping two-hole with one lap to go then boogied past 4-5 favourite Summer Lovn on the front as they turned for home en route to the three-length victory, with Sauble Amelia and Playful Molly getting up for second and third. 

Trainer Brittany Kennedy co-owns the three-year-old daughter of All Bets Off and Sportika with Moneyclip Racing of Morpeth, Ont., and Shawn Bustin of Thamesville, Ont.

Michael Hamlin had a milestone moment mid-card as he celebrated his first career driving win with six-year-old claiming pacer Sports Section prevailing off a pocket trip in 1:58.3 by one length over the Rooney-driven 7-5 favourite Phone In. 

The 24-year-old Essex, Ont. resident, who is in just his second year of driving, also has 18 training wins since starting his own stable in 2022. He trained and owned Sports Section for five starts but the Sportswriter-Trilife gelding was claimed for $8,000 on Sunday by Cameron McQueen and Gregory Tuckwell.

Live harness racing resumes at Dresden Raceway next Sunday, June 8 at 1 p.m., with the second leg of Little Saratoga Series featured during the track's annual Veterans Day event. The $12,000 (added) divisional finals of the series are scheduled the following Sunday, 15.

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

(Standardbred Canada; photo of Arundel Hanover winning on June 1)