No Angel Like Me opened the 2026 Canadian harness racing season with a front-end victory in the first race at Flamboro Downs on New Year's Day, one race before Esquire started his 13-year-old campaign by notching his 50th lifetime victory in a dead heat.

In the seasonal lid-lifter, a $9,000 conditioned trot, Scott Young initially settled No Angel Like Me in fourth through a contested :29 quarter over a track rated good, then moved her to the front to lead past the middle stations in 1:00.1 and 1:29.4. The Candice Morel trainee then came home a 1-1/4-length winner in 2:00.4 over Handsome Hank (Jay Harris). Baden Baden (Dale Spence) completed the ticket.

No Angel Like Me started her six-year-old season with her 11th lifetime victory in 105 starts, upping her earnings total to $172,134. Morel of Caledonia, Ont. owns and bred the Archangel-Bistrobistro Taj mare. The winner returned $3.30.

Esquire hit 50 career wins in Canada’s second race of 2026, reaching the line together with Hesohot Hanover in an $8,000 conditioned claiming trot.

Samuel Fillion mobilized the 13-year-old into action early to put him on the lead before reaching the quarter in :29.1. The pocketed Hesohot Hanover (Ryan Guy) promptly re-moved and controlled the pace through 1:01 and 1:30.2 middle fractions. With the first-over Southwind Mac (Austin Sorrie) stalled on the last turn, Hesohot Hanover straightened for home in command, and Esquire made his move up the passing lane. The pocket-sitter closed down the stretch and hit the wire in sync with Hesohot Hanover for a dead heat in 2:00.4. Southwind Mac finished third, two lengths back.

Esquire rung up his 50th win in his 272nd start and grew his bankroll to $490,208. The Kadabra-Earl Of My Dreams gelding has spent his entire career in Ontario and now races for trainer Mark Winacott and owners Don Smith and Donna Parker of Hampton, Ont. and John James of Blackstock, Ont. He paid $5.80 to win.

Hesohot Hanover, trained by Doug Brown, is now 19-for-158 with $171,283 in earnings. Todd Coleman of Paris, Ont., Jackson Wittup of Calgary, Alta., and James Gillam of Gilmour, Ont. own the eight-year-old son of Bar Hopping-Hotentrot Hanover. His win price was $4.20.

To view Thursday’s harness racing results, click the following link: Thursday Results - Flamboro Downs.

(Standardbred Canada; photo of No Angel Like Me winning on Jan. 1, 2026)