STORY CONTINUES BELOW THESE SALTWIRE VIDEOS
The 2023 racing season guarantees to be a busy one with stakes dates launched not too long ago.
The three-year-old pacing colts and fillies will kick off the stakes calendar on Could 21 within the Turner Memorial at Truro Raceway in Nova Scotia and begin off the Island stakes season Could 28 within the first sophomore leg of the P.E.I. Colt Stakes.
Learn extra
Racing in New Brunswick will shift to 10 race dates at Woodstock Raceway in Woodstock, with the closure of Exhibition Park Raceway in Saint John final season. The primary stake date of the New Brunswick season is June 3 because the three-year-old pacing colts and fillies race within the Daybreak Bremner Memorial on the half-mile oval. Woodstock typically held one race date a season in early August for its personal exhibition festivities which might see an Invitational occasion on the calendar. Now the monitor would be the residence of all 10 of New Brunswick’s race dates in 2023. Woodstock’s massive occasions embody the large cash Barrieau-McIsaac stake July 7 for three-year-old pacers in addition to wealthy legs of the New Brunswick Breeders stakes for each pacing age.
The New Brunswick-bred two-year-olds will kick off their profession July 7 at Woodstock with the primary leg of the New Brunswick Breeders. The Atlantic Sires Stakes season for the rookie pacers begins July 12 on the Summerside Raceway for two-year-old pacing fillies and July 13 for the two-year-old pacing colts.
July 11 has the beginning of the trotting season at Purple Shores Summerside.
It should all come all the way down to the Atlantic Breeder’s Crown Oct. 7-8 at Purple Shores Charlottetown with the finals of the Atlantic Sires Stakes season.
Main occasions on the Invitational facet embody the Governor’s Plate eliminations July 9 and ultimate on July 15. The ALC Gold Cup and Saucer will cap off Outdated Residence Week 2023 Aug. 19, and Inverness Raceway returns to the Invitational fold with a Free-For-All race scheduled for Sept. 17. The main invite races on the Truro Raceway embody the Johnny Conroy July 2 and the Exhibition Cup on July 23.
Ontario Scene
Milo native Ryan Desroche had the recent arms Feb. 19 program at Flamboro Downs in Dundas, Ont., profitable three dashes on this system. Desroche steered Windsong Grayson to victory in Race 2 for coach James McConnell. He got here again in Race 7 to win with Rose of Tralee for fellow West Prince native Jim Whelan, who grew up in Alberton. LA Girl capped off the triple in Race 11 from the Jodie Cullen barn. His three wins bumped him to fourth place within the Flamboro driving standings with 15 wins in 2023.
P.E.I. Scene
My condolences to the household of all-around horseman Keith Campbell of Victoria West on his current passing. The 71-year-old was concerned within the enterprise as a coach, driver, breeder, proprietor, farrier, trucker, committee member and absolutely anything else you may consider. All the time an excellent sport in victory or defeat, Campbell could also be finest identified for racing high class trotting mare Hop Up. He might be missed.
Nicholas Oakes’ column seems in The Guardian every Friday. He could be reached at [email protected].