Skippy and driver Mark Haig captured the 59th Walter Dale Memorial Pace as Fredericton Raceway, Canada's oldest racetrack, held its season opener on Canada Day, July 1.

Shuffled to last by the half-mile mark, Skippy and Haig circled the field of six pacers to win the $3,500 invitational in 1:58.1 by half a length over the popular pacesetter Forever Paradise and Gilles Barrieau. Kass Hall and Scott Hubbard followed over two lengths behind in third.

"My dad was a driver so I grew up watching this race," Haig told Trot Insider. "It's a big thrill to win this one. I've been in it a few times, but never won it before. We were in the right position and we got it!"

Owned by Harold Defazio of Upper Golden Grove, N.B., the nine-year-old Camluck gelding began the year with two wins in eight races competing in Bangor, Maine before returning to his home province for opening day of the New Brunswick season. The victory was Defazio's first as a trainer.

Colin Decourcey also celebrated his first training when the lightly raced four-year-old pacer Cruise Level broke his maiden in 2:03.3 in the second race with Todd Trites aboard. In the next race, Dr. Mitchell Downey drove his first winner, Fall Bliss, who went wire-to-wire in 1:58.2.

To view Wednesday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Wednesday Results - Fredericton Raceway.