A seven-race card brought the curtain down on an era of New Brunswick harness racing in Saint John on Sunday (Oct. 16) at Exhibition Park Raceway.
The afternoon’s feature, the $32,640 N.B. Breeders Final for pacing freshmen, went to front-stepping Nannie Bernice in a 1:59 blowout. Driver John Davidson Jr. protected position with the daughter of Artspeak to a :29.1 first quarter with Brookdale Seb the closest pursuer following interference at the start of the race. Gradually, Nannie Bernice widened her advantage on Brookdale Seb through a :58.4 half and to three-quarters in 1:29. She owned four lengths on Brookdale Seb coming for home and stretched farther clear to cross the beam ahead by 7-1/2 lengths. Brookdale Seb settled for second withy Jedi Jim finishing third another 31 lengths behind.
Nannie Bernice, a homebred for trainer Janice Hubbard, collected her sixth victory from eight tries to push her earnings to $26,483. She paid $2.90 to win.
Brumby bested his peers earlier in the card to win the $8,640 Peter & Jeanne Gray Memorial. The three-year-old gelded son of Pang Shui kept his rivals behind through a clip of :29.4, 1:00 and 1:29.4 to stop the clock in 1:59.1, finishing 4-3/4 lengths clear of Big Time Brawler in second. Theodore J Down rounded the field, beaten another 22 lengths.
Jamie Smith trains Brumby for owner Five Guys Horses N Lies. He won his fifth race from 28 starts and has now banked $52,917. David Dowling drove the $2.10 winner.
Dowling returned later to take the debutante co-feature, the $8,640 Malcolm Lawson Memorial, with Mermaid Magic. The Tom Weatherbie-trained daughter of Big Jim applied similar speed tactics to control her competition, setting a tempo of :29.1, :59.2 and 1:30. KCs Starlite mounted a first-over bid into the final turn but levelled off in the straight to leave Mermaid Magic on her own. Mermaid Magic stopped the clock in 2:00 to beat Elm Grove Quest by 1-1/2 lengths while KCs Starlite settled for third.
David Kennedy and F. Ian Smith own Mermaid Magic, a four-time winner from 23 starts and earner of $30,501. She paid $4.50 to win.
Driver Todd Trites and trainer George Rennison took the last race at Exhibition Park Raceway, the $2,500 Ingham Palmer Memorial, with American Risk in 1:57.2. The six-year-old American Ideal gelding raced third while Woodmere Ideal Art carved fractions of :28.3 and :57.3 on the lead. Trites then launched American Risk off the pegs and dug into Woodmere Ideal Art through the final turn before striding clear by 2-1/2 lengths to the finish. Woodmere Ideal Art settled for second and pocket-sitter Blood Money finished third.
American Risk races for owner Risky Bizz Group. He won his 25th race from 85 starts, pushed his bankroll to $96,862 and paid $2.90 to win.
The full broadcast of Exhibition Park Raceway's final card is available below:
To view Sunday’s harness racing results, click the following link: Sunday Results – Exhibition Park Raceway.