One Wicked Man and Lady Hess prevailed in stakes action as Connell Park Raceway in Woodstock, N.B. hosted divisions of the Dr. Ted & Dawn Bremner Memorial on Saturday, Sept. 20.
Two $24,000 divisions headlined Saturday's card, with a single split offered for both boys and girls.
One Wicked Man ($3.00) delivered as the 1/2 favourite in the Bremner division for three-year-old male pacers. Trainer-driver Kenny Arsenault bided his time as The Tulsa King (Mike McGuigan) fronted the field through a :28.4 opening quarter before yielding to One Wicked Man down the backside. Once on top, One Wicked Man faced nary an anxious moment. After middle splits of :58.1 and 1:28, One Wicked Man paced home confidently in :28.1 for the 1:56.1 decision. Camco Lucas (Brodie MacPhee) was next best, 2-3/4 lengths back, just up on the line ahead of The Tulsa King.
James Perrot of Stratford, P.E.I. holds the papers on One Wicked Man, now a six-time winner on the season with a solid 6-5-3 summary from 16 sophomore starts. The son of McWicked - Alexander Valley is an 11-time career winner with more than $120,000 in earnings.
Lady Hess ($5.00) wasn't sent postward as the public choice in the filly division of the Bremner, but the horseplayers assessed her as the 3-2 second choice in the four-horse field. Mike McGuigan felt this race was his for the taking, however, and sent the daughter of Heston Blue Chip - Abes Lady to the top from the inside starting spot and dared rivals to best her. After serious fractions of :27.4, :56.4 and 1:26.1, that tempo was too much for the competition...as was the :29.4 closer put up by Lady Hess to trip the timer in 1:56. Favoured Tobins Dream (Arsenault) was more than three lengths back, with Isle Bea Wickedwon (MacPhee) rounding out the top trio.
Trained by Jamie Smith for Charlottetown's Groupof7Stable, Lady Hess picked up her second won of the year and eighth lifetime to lift her bankroll to $73,038.
In the $2,000 Winners Over Pace, Nuttin But Finesse ($2.80) took the overland path to victory for driver Mike Downey. Whats In The Esky A (Colin DeCourcey) tried to cut the mile and fronted the field through fractions of :28.3, :57.4 and 1:56.4, but the pressure applied by Nuttin But Finesse from after the half-mile station was too much to sustain. Nuttin But Finesse inched past his rival on the final turn and then pulled away to win by a length and a half in 1:56.4. Therealprincess (Sam Hodgin) completed the triactor ticket.
Dr. Mitch Downey of Saint John, N.B. owns Nuttin But Finesse, a seven-year-old son of Art Major - Nuttin But Trouble with 36 wins from his 129 career appearances and more than $386,000 in earnings.
For the results from Saturday's card of harness racing in New Brunswick, click the following link: Saturday Results - Connell Park Raceway.
(Standardbred Canada)