The consistent Cattle Call established himself as the one to beat in the 2026 edition of the Barrieau McIssac Memorial with a dominant elimination win on Saturday, Oct. 24 at Connell Park Raceway in Woodstock, N.B.
First or second in 11 of his dozen sophomore starts, Cattle Call answered the bell with flying colours on Saturday, delivering as the 6-5 public choice in his $10,000 elimination for driver David Dowling and trainer Ron Matheson. With rail control, Cattle Call was on top at every call of his Saturday test. Fractions of :29.3, :59 and 1:28 were punctuated with a :28.3 final quarter in a 1:56.3 cakewalk. Beach Jewels (Colin Decourcey) was next best, followed by Tobins Nibbler (Jason Hughes) and Woodmere Mahomes (Gilles Barrieau). Those four sophomores earned tickets into next week's $60,000 final.
Cattle Call (Cattlewash-Bolero Tallia) is owned by Friends And Family Stable of Nine Mile Creek, P.E.I. He's now a nine-time winner in his career with $54,447 accrued. He returned $4.60 to win.
Goose Commander and driver Jason Hughes ignored the 19-1 odds bestowed upon them and wired their rivals in the first Barrieau McIssac elim. Pacing through panels of :29.1, 1:00.3 and 1:30, Goose Commander flew home in :28.3 to best Oceanview Lou (Brodie MacPhee) by 1-1/2 lengths in 1:58.3. Zero Two Sixty (David Dowling) and McLovin (Gilles Barrieau) completed the top four to advance to next week's $60,000 final.
A homebred of owner Donald Mac Rae of Vernon Bridge, P.E.I., Goose Commander (Somewhere Fancy-P L Nelly) sports a record of 5-1-4 from 17 sophomore starts with $46,631 earned this season. Ashley Gamester trains the gelding, who paid $41.70 to win.
Saturday's card also featured a pair of $15,000 New Brunswick Breeders Stakes for two-year-old pacers, with boys and girls each having their own divisions.
Sent off as the 1-9 favourite in the colts and geldings event, Plymouth Rock and driver Gilles Barrieau sat patiently in third as Bloodbath (Mike Downey) set the tempo with a :31.2 opening quarter and 1:02 half. Plymouth Rock started his charge after the midway mark and fronted his foe after a 1:31.3 third station. Sprinting home in :28.1, Plymouth Rock tripped the timer in 1:59.4, nearly three lengths ahead of Bloodbath with Rolling All Night (Keith Legge) third in the three-horse field.
Rick Armstrong trains Plymouth Rock, a son of Courtly Choice-Joes Sign, for Stephen Downey of Quispamsis, N.B. In four starts, Plymouth Rock sports three wins with earnings of $12,954. He returned $2.10 to his win supporters.
In the $15,000 New Brunswick Breeders Stakes event for two-year-old pacing fillies, Elm Grove Vinebabz cut over to the front from post three for driver Redmond Doucet and then made every call a winning one. After fractions of :29.2, 1:00.4 and 1:31.3, Elm Grove Vinebabz closed her mile in :29.3 for the 2:01.1 maiden-breaking decision. Moolah (Barrieau) tested Elm Grove Vinebabz down the backside but couldn't get by and finished second back 4-1/2 lengths. Livinglikebeth (Colin Sheppard) recovered from an early miscue for the show spot.
Allan Jones of Riverview, N.B. trains and co-owns Elm Grove Vinebabz along with Normand Leger of Shediac, N.B. The Tobago Cays-Miss Old Vines filly notched her first career win in 14 tries, lifting her bankroll to $13,897. She paid $5.10 to win as the 3-2 second choice.
Nuttin But Finesse ($4.30) and driver Mike Downey capitalized on a tempestuous front-end battle between Thatmomentinlife (MacPhee) and Party Place (Keith Legge) to prevail in the $2,000 Winners Over Pace. A 1:56.4 winner in this class one week ago, Nuttin But Finesse bested Whats In The Esky A (Decourcey) by a quarter of a length in 1:57. Party Place stayed for third.
An eight-year-old intact son of Art Major-Nuttin But Trouble, Nuttin But Finesse is owned by Dr. Mitchell Downey of Saint John, N.B. and trained by Ellen Stevenson. He's now a 44-time winner with $411,744 in career earnings.
Live harness racing returns to Connell Park next Saturday, Oct. 31. To view Saturday's results, click the following link: Saturday Results - Connell Park Raceway.
(Standardbred Canada)