Leamington Raceway's 2026 harness racing season kicked off on Sunday, Aug. 9 with a track record performance by YS Delight among the Opening Day's highlights.
YS Delight won the featured $6,800 conditioned optional claiming pace in 1:55.3 to shave one-fifth of a second off the track record for older pacing stallions that was set by Life Is Better four years ago. The overall aged male record stands at 1:54.4, set by gelding Beavercreek Artist in 2018.
Mark MacDonell worked out the winning pocket trip for the nine-year-old Bettors Delight-Kiss Baby Kiss son, who is campaigned by owner/trainer Garry MacDonald of Dundas, Ont.
YS Delight and MacDonell tracked crossover leader Remember The Beach and Nick Steward in the pocket through fractions of :28, :57.2 and 1:26.3 before sprinting by in a :28.4 final quarter for the 1-3/4-length victory. Talldarklatte and Anthony Hamlin completed the top three finish order five lengths behind the popular 3-5 winner.
YS Delight has earned seven wins in 22 starts this year, including his career-best 1:54 in his previous win in a Preferred 3 at Hiawatha Horse Park on June 27. The veteran pacer now boasts 29 career victories with earnings of $193,683.
Leamington's 2025 leading trainer Cameron McQueen started the new season off with a training triple on the afternoon's 10-race card with Thunderbolt Run ($3.60), Grand Circuit ($4.20) and Livin Large ($3.80) all winning their respective assignments. McQueen sent out a pair of runner-up finishers, including Remember The Beach, to complete his Sunday lineup and now boasts a 0.329 UTRS overall this year to rank among the top 10 trainers in Canada.
Nick Steward drove all three successful McQueen starters as part of a grand slam to lead all drivers out of the gate.
Leamington's 2026 harness racing season continues every Sunday through Oct. 25, with post time at 1 p.m.
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click the following link: Sunday Results - Leamington Raceway.
(Standardbred Canada)