One Wicked Man was victorious in a record $70,000 Barrieau McIsaac Memorial Stakes, the richest race in the history of New Brunswick racing, while Walter Dale Invitational champion Miki Shan N paced the fastest mile ever at Woodstock's Connell Park during the action-packed afternoon program on Sunday, Aug. 31.

Trained and driven by Kenny Arsenault, One Wicked Man defeated favourite Malevolent in the rich Barrieau McIsaac final, matching that rival's 1:53.3 divisional track record for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings established in the eliminations just over a week ago. A runner-up in that record elimination mile, One Wicked Man prevailed by a neck this time for the mild 5-1 upset, paying $12.70 to win.

One Wicked Man and Arsenault watched as a :26.3 first quarter speed duel took place in front of them with a three-wide Malevolent (Paul Langille) powering past DJ Mustang (Marc Campbell), while the other elim winner, Income Approach (Colin Decourcey), broke stride at the inside. Once Malevolent gained control, he held a commanding lead through middle splits of :55.2 and 1:23.4, but One Wicked Man was on the move. Heading to the backstretch the final time, One Wicked Man progressed around a gapping DJ Mustang into second with the leader in his sights. He took his shot turning for home and got up in time with a late surge. Lady Hess (Corey MacPherson) chased three lengths behind in third. DJ Mustang was fourth-place-seventh for causing interference to Income Approach at the quarter.

One Wicked Man, a McWicked-Alexander Valley colt who set the two-year-old track record in a Milton Downey Memorial Stakes division last year, now has nine career wins in 22 starts and reached the $100,000 earnings mark for owner James Perrot of Stratford, P.E.I.

The $6,000 Walter Dale Invitational Pace closed out the history-making 12-race card with six-year-old pacer Miki Shan N lowering the all-age track record to 1:51.4 while remaining undefeated in eight starts since arriving in the Maritimes this summer.

Driven by Corey MacPherson and trained by Chris MacKay, he knocked one-fifth of a second off the record that was set by American History last August in the Kelti Burnett Memorial.

Coming off a victory in the Gold Cup & Saucer, Miki Shan N was parked past the opening quarter in :27 before clearing. Unfazed by the early action, the 1-9 favourite raced on to the half in :54.4 then three-quarters in 1:23.1 with a five-length lead and kept on going. Sprinting home in :28.3, the son of Always B Miki out of Yankee Dream stretched his lead to 11-1/2 lengths en route to the record-setting victory. Nuttin But Finesse (Michael Downey) edged out Roll Em (Mark Campbell) and Nothing Bugs Me (Gilles Barrieau) in the race for place.

Miki Shan N is owned by Kap Singh Racing Stable of Yorktown Heights, New York, Stephen Klunowski of North York, Ont., Earl Hill Jr. of Ohsweken, Ont., and Donald MacRae of Vernon Bridge, P.E.I. The victory was his 18th lifetime and pushed her bankroll to $276,390.

There were more record performances on the undercard in the Milton Downey Memorial Stakes. Zero Two Sixty equalled One Wicked Man's two-year-old male record with a five-length romp in one of the four $11,300 divisions for driver Gilles Barrieau and trainer Sifroi Melanson's Ultimate Stable of Greater Lakeburn, N.B.

The Tobago Cays-J J Mistress gelding cruised through fractions of :29, 1:01.2 and 1:29.2 en route to the 1:57.3 victory over Tiziano (Clare MacDonald) and McLovin (Kenny Arsenault). A popular winner, Zero Two Sixty returned $3.50 at the betting windows. He improved to three-for-nine with the lifetime-best effort.

Saulsbrook Rolo continued her perfect career while equalling Lady Hess's two-year-old filly track record of 1:58.3 for the father and son, driving and training team of Marc and Landon Campbell. The Roll With Joe-Saulsbook Alana filly is now perfect in six starts for owner Carl Stafford of Conception Bay South, Nfld.

Taking the lead after inside starter Uptown Tonight (Myles Heffernan) put up first half fractions of :29.2 and :59.2, Saulsbrook Rolo raced by three-quarters in 1:28.3 and cruised home a 1-1/2-length winner as the overwhelming 1-9 favourite, with all three of her foes in the race dismissed at odds over 100-1. Uptown Tonight was her closest competitor in second with Nevaeh Divine (Colin Sheppard) and Blood Magic (Michael Downey) completing the order of finish.

Trainer Landon Campbell completed a sweep of the two-year-old filly stakes, with the streaking Bayonetta (Maxim Gaudreault) and stablemate Hatchling (Marc Campbell) trading turns on the lead through splits of :30.2, 1:02.4 and 1:32.3 before finishing first and second in a 2:01.1 mile. Third went to All Bets On Leigh (Myles Heffernan). Bayonetta paid $6.50 to win as the  2-1 second choice while improving to six-for-seven in her career. The daughter of Cattlewash out of White Satin is owned by Daniel Gaudreault of Mont-Joli, Que., and Louis-Philippe Roy Racing of Campbellville, Ont.

Marc Campbell doubled up in the Downey stakes with the Vaughan Doyle-trained Kapueno taking the other colt and gelding division in 1:59.3. The Betterthancheddar-Kellys Keepsake gelding tracked in third through panels of :28.4, 1:00.1 and 1:30.2 before catching the popular pacesetter Fire And Blood (Michael Downey) to win by three-quarters of a length. Shekhan (Colin Sheppard) finished back in third. Owned by Chris Kelly of Calgary, Alta., Kapueno earned his second career win in five starts. He paid $4.60 to win as the slight 6-5 second choice.

In regular racing action, the top $2,000 Winners Over class was won by the favoured veteran pacer Whats Inthe Esky A and driver Colin Decourcey in wire-to-wire fashion. Trained by Robert Kitchen, the 11-year-old Western Edition-Rustlin A Kiss gelding was a three-length winner over Like A King (Marc Campbell) in 1:56.3 for owner Bala Stable of Skiff Lake, N.B.

To view Sunday's harness racing results, click the following links: Sunday Results - Woodstock Connell Park.

(Standardbred Canada; photo of One Wicked Man (3) with Kenny Arsenault up)