The 2025 Atlantic Sires Stakes season officially gets underway on Friday, June 6 as the three-year-old pacing fillies hit the oval at Truro Raceway.
Three 'A' divisions of fillies will go behind the gate, each vying for a purse of $10,420. The first A division goes in Race 3 and the 5-2 morning ling favourite is undefeated filly Never Shui Never (post two), last year's Maritime Breeders Stakes champion trained and driven by Gilles Barrieau, who will be making her first pari-mutuel start for the season coming off a winning qualifier in 1:58.1 at Charlottetown Driving Park. The Pang Shui-Azure Bluestone filly is owned by Nikway Farms of St. Davids, Nfld. Woodmere Betcha (post six), a Donnie & George Turner Memorial Stakes division winner last month at Truro, will be looking to redeem herself after making a break in her last start in the P.E.I. Colt Stakes at Summerside Raceway with Adam Merner driving for trainer Jamie Smith. Rounding out the top three contenders is Howmac Maleficent (post three), a P.E.I. Colt Stakes winner for driver Ken Murphy and trainer Joseph Baxter.
The other two 'A' division are Races 5 and 9 on the 15-race card. Last year's Atlantic Breeders Crown champion Muchtooyoungforyou (post four) headlines the second division for driver Marc Campbell and trainer Earl Watts. The Flameproof Hanover-Troxel Hanover filly is a Windemere Farms homebred, co-owned by Lana Murphy of Saint John, N.B. and Matt Burke of Stratford, P.E.I.
Trainer William Lanigan's Badgirl Bridgette (post two) is the early favourite in the third division after going six-for-seven as a freshman and missing by just a nose in her sophomore debut in the P.E.I. Colt Stakes. Regular reinsman Jason Hughes will drive the daughter of Stonebridge Terror-Whatabadgirl.
A couple fillies will have their win streaks on the line. Wisemoon, driven by Ryan Desroche for trainer Shayna Toll, will try to make it three in a row from post one in the fifth race and Elm Grove Talia, with David Dowling aboard for the Jennifer Doyle stable, has her work cut out for her from the outside post six in the ninth race as she will be looking to make it four in a row.
There are two 'B' division events on the card in Races 1 and 7 and they will be racing for purses of $6,000.
The Atlantic Sires Stakes program, the first of its kind in Canada, was formed back in 1966 with the sole purpose of promoting the Standardbred horse industry in Atlantic Canada. Today, the program not only showcases the best young horses in the region but also encourages people to breed, buy and race horses in the Maritimes.
The Atlantic Sires Stakes offers participants and spectators the finest in harness racing action and the season-ending Atlantic Breeders Crown championship has become one of the most prestigious Maritime harness racing events.
Atlantic Sires Stakes events will take place at five racetracks throughout Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.
Points earned in each of the four Atlantic Sires Stakes 'A' division and trot events go towards securing a coveted spot in the season-ending Atlantic Breeders Crown championships, with the Atlantic Breeders Crown being hosted by Red Shores at the Charlottetown Driving Park on Oct. 11 and 12. MacRae Backhoe and Trucking is the sponsor for the Atlantic Breeders Crown events.
Post time is 6:30 p.m. (ADT) for Friday's card, which also features two $9,220 divisions of the Phil Pinkney Memorial Stakes for three-year-old pacing colts.
To view Friday's harness racing entries, click the following link: Friday Entries - Truro Raceway.
(With files from Atlantic Standardbred Breeders Association)