Horse Racing New Brunswick will host its first live card of the 2025 harness racing season on Saturday, June 14th to kick-start the racing season.

Included in the card at Connell Park Raceway at Woodstock NB for Saturday are two divisions of the lucrative New Brunswick Stakes for three-year old pacers for both fillies and colts.

Race five will feature a seven horse group for the fillies and $15,000 in purse money. Isle Bea Wickedwon and Dave Dowling look like the one to beat in this division.

She’s in New Brunswick owned filly by Dr. Everette Hanson. She has looked extremely strong and her last two starts.

She’s fresh off a 1:57.2 record mile at Summerside Raceway. She’s a three year old daughter of McWicked and is two for two this season.

All Over Town and Brodie MacPhee leave from the trailing position in post seven and could loom a threat to the favorite. This is going to be a competitive bunch though when you add in MIA and a red hot Adam Merner training and driving.

In the colt division, it looks like Like A King and the combination of Dave Dowling and trainer Jenn Doyle . He has won both of his starts this season and a second at Truro Raceway . He’s a home bred by Jenn Ritchie will be hard to dethrone.

Ryan DesRoche will drive DJ Mustang from the Landon Campbell stable, and will score from the second trailing position in post eight.

Opening day includes horses from New Brunswick Prince Edward Island, Quebec. Thanks for your continued support of racing in the province of New Brunswick.

In the featured overnight event, two New Brunswick owned pacers are in the spotlight.

House Edge Hanover, Press Time will meet head to head in the top class of the day.

Saturday afternoons top class will carry a $ 2,000 purse.

Press Time, owned by Zach Cougle will have catch-driver Adam Merner in the bike from the three horse position.

The eight year old son of Sportswriter reeled off four straight wins at Connell Park in Woodstock last season. Including a scorching trip of 1:54.1 which at the time, just missed tying the track record by a fifth of a second.

House Edge Hanover is home from a campaign in Ontario where he has 19,000 plus in $ earnings, and a 1:56.2 win over Western Fair. Everette Hanson owns the nice looking son of Betting Line who took his record last year, a 1:53.2 trip over Red Shores Charlottetown.

Whats Inthe Esky A is a new face owned by the Bala stable who just paced Flamboro Downs in 1:53.3 For New Brunswick native. Dale Spence . Dale’s good friend Mark Haig will make his first set of drives on Saturday in Woodstock.

Going to be a fantastic opening day at Connell Park Raceway – Woodstock NB with post time at 1:00.  Best of luck to everyone competing at Connell Park on Saturday!

Horse Racing New Brunswick would like to thank all horsemen and women for their support of love racing in the province. There are a total of 11 race dates scheduled for Connell Park, including opening day.

by Scott Waddell, for Horse Racing New Brunswick