The star of the card for the 2025 season opener at Connell Park Raceway in Woodstock, N.B. was trainer Charlie Miles, who sent out three winners on the day.

In fact, Miles trainees bookended the card with wins in the opener and the finale, sandwiching a stakes score in the co-feature of the afternoon.

The opening leg of the New Brunswick Breeders headlined the seven-race card, with a three-year-old pacing colts and fillies each contesting a single $15,000 dash. It was the ladies first in the stakes action, and it was Miles trainee Isle Bea Wickedwon first across the wire.

Sent off as the 4-5 choice, Isle Bea Wickedwon ($3.60; pictured above) made no mistake in her Saturday assignment for driver David Dowling. After fractions of :29.1 and :59.2, Isle Bea Wickedwon gained from separation from her rivals when Summer Vibes made a break in the pocket for Wayne Watson. That bobble caused confusion to the trailing horses, and gave Isle Bea Wickedwon even more of a leading margin through a 1:28.4 third station. All alone at the wire, Isle Bea Wickedwon tripped the timer in 1:58.3, seven lengths better than a recovering Summer Vibes. Judges, however, placed Summer Vibes seventh for that interference. That placing moved third-place finisher Mia (Adam Merner) into second with All Over Town (Brodie MacPhee) fourth placed third.

Owned by Everette Hanson of Maugerville, N.B., Isle Bea Wickedwon is now unbeaten in three seasonal starts after a winless four-start rookie season. The winner's share of the purse lifted the career earnings for the daughter of McWicked - Wild Dream over the $20,000 plateau.

The colt companion division of the New Brunswick Breeders Stakes also proved fairly formful, with 1-2 choice Like A King ($3.10) tons the best to remain unbeaten in the provincial stakes series over his two- and three-year-old seasons.

Dowling also engineered this effort, settling in the pocket early and then clearing Miramichi Charlie (Mark Haig) through a :28.1 opening panel. The favourite was never seriously threatened after that, with middle fractions of :57.4 and 1:27 setting up a :28.4 closing quarter to best DJ Mustang (Ryan Desroche) by eight lengths in a career best time of 1:55.4. Here On Earth (Adam Merner) rounded out the top trio.

A homebred owned by Jennifer Ritchie of Kingston, N.B., Like A King elevated his career standings to 8-3-1 in 15 starts. Jen Doyle handles the training duties on this son of Arthur Blue Chip - Twin B Cuzisaidso, whose mile time stands as the fastest over the Connell Park oval for a sophomore pacing colt. Pacing gelding Jackies Boy holds the overall mark for male pacers by virtue of his 1:54.4. score last summer.

As previously mentioned, Charlie Miles enjoyed a solid day at the office on Saturday. His stable sent out six horses, and three of those found their way to the winner's circle. Happys Spirit (2:04.4; $20.30) and driver Stephen Trites kicked off the season with a win in the opener to start Miles' day on the right foot, and then House Edge Hanover (1:57.4; $14.80) got up in the final strides to best Mantario (Dowling) by a neck in the $2,000 Winners Over Pace.

Miles trains House Edge Hanover, a four-year-old gelded son of Betting Line - Hug A Dragoness, for Everette Hanson. Now a 16-time winner in 34 career starts, House Edge Hanover sports a bankroll with $57,640 accrued.

Live harness racing returns to Connell Park on Saturday, June 28.

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

(Standardbred Canada)