Connell Park in Woodstock, N.B. will be the place to be on Monday, July 1 as Horse Racing New Brunswick will jumpstart the 2024 racing season.
There are a total of seven races scheduled for the afternoon with post time at 1 p.m. for the traditional July 1 program. New race secretary Brent Biggs has assembled a tremendous card. More than $20,000 in purse money is to be doled out on Monday and the $8,000 Walter Dale Memorial has drawn a field of five including two new horses.
Looking at the field of starters in the coveted Walter Dale Memorial, Briggs has enlisted The Bird Dance N as the morning line favourite. Jose Cervantes of Nazareth, Pennsylvania owns the nine-year-old veteran pacer who sports a lifetime mark of 1:50.1 and career earnings north of $300,000. He ships in from the state of New York, where he has competed in the Open Pace at Saratoga. Dan Deslandes got the call to drive the pacer. Should he win, he will garner his 40th lifetime win.
Dr. Mitch Downey will debut One Eight Hundred as a son of the incomparable Somebeachsomewhere who comes in with some incredible stats. He was sold for an incredible $800,000 and sports an eye-catching lifetime record of 1:48. The winner of more than $200,000 lifetime has drawn post four. With the breeding on this horse, he could be a potential stallion for Downey.
All Bets On Tex has drawn post one and will be driven by Brett LeBlanc. He showed a 1:54.2 mile last week at Red Shores. Jeffrey Lilley, Blair MacLauchlan, Kent Livingston and Marc Gallant share ownership of All Bets On Tex, who ships in from P.E.I. He took a new mark earlier this season in Ontario of 1:51.4.
Nova Scotia pacer Batterup Hanover, with Paul Langille driving, will bust the gate from post two. He's owned by Debbie Francis, Rosanne Langille, Douglas Lowthers and Chantel Langille. Batterup Hanover has a win in 1:54.3 over the half-mile track at Truro Raceway.
Rounding out the Walter Dale starters is Island Beach Boy, a winner over Red Shores this year in 1:54.2. He is owned by Ian Smith and Arnold Hagen and trucks in from P.E.I for the event. Brodie MacPhee is scheduled to drive the tough campaigner.
Horse Racing New Brunswick would like to extend its gratitude to all horsemen and women who entered to race at Connell Park in Woodstock as the province of N.B will again host a traditional Canada Day program.
Racing at Woodstock opens with race days on Monday, July 1 in addition to Saturday, July 6 before moving to a weekly Friday schedule in August and a weekly Saturday schedule in September through Oct. 5. Races go to post on Monday and Saturday at 1 p.m. and on Friday at 6 p.m. The full schedule can be viewed here.
To view Monday's harness racing entries click the following link: Woodstock Raceway at Connell Park - Monday Entries – Program Pages (courtesy TrackIT).
(With files from Horse Racing New Brunswick)