The stars will be lining up for the 17th edition of the Maritimer Stake on Saturday, August 27 at Exhibition Park Raceway in New Brunswick
.
The event, which is sponsored by Standardbred Canada and the New Brunswick Standardbred Breeders & Owners Association, is the second jewel of the Atlantic Triple Crown for three-year-old pacing fillies, and a total of 13 lasses will be looking to stake their claim on the rich purse.
Eliminations worth $8,736 have been carded as Race 11 and 12. The top four finishers from each elim will advance to the $11,648 final, which will head postward as Race 15. First-race post time for the afternoon will be 1:00 p.m.
The first elim, which will house a field of six, will feature a pair of winners of the Lady Slippers Stakes, which took place this past weekend at the Charlottetown Driving Park. Elm Grove Future (PP2, M. Stevenson, 5-2), who triumphed in 1:56.4 in the Lady Slipper, has been installed as the morning line favourite for trainer Frank Banks. Charolettes Maggie (PP1, G. Barrieau, 7-2), the only Ontario-bred in the field, has compiled an impressive resume from her nine lifetime starts (7-1-0). Trained by Tom Waetherbie, the Royal Mattjesty mare won in 1.57.1 during the Lady Slipper.
The second elim will be headlined by Moon Landing (PP1, D. Romo, 3-1), the Pat Eastwood-owned and trained filly that is unbeaten in 2011 ASBA competition, and Honey Do Jigtime (PP5, C. MacDonald, 5-2), the Maritime Breeders champ that is trained and driven by Claire MacDonald.
The Maritimer Stake is the only race of its kind in Canada for pacing fillies, and it continues to be the highest purse race in New Brunswick. The late Doug Harkness once penned that the Maritimer Stake is the supreme test for fillies in the region.
To view Exhibition Park Raceway's Saturday entries, click the following link: Saturday - EPR.
(With files from the NBSBOA)