New Brunswick Breeders Stakes Friday at Connell Park

Harness racing returns to Woodstock, New Brunswick this Friday night (Aug. 9), with the New Brunswick Breeders Stakes the main event. Eight races will be contested on Friday night with post-time at 6:00 P.M at Connell Park.

Horse Racing New Brunswick showcases the two-year-olds on Friday evening. Over $30,000 in purse money being doled out to the freshman fillies and colts. These are the first legs of the made in New Brunswick stakes for the lucrative N.B Breeders.

Gilles Barrieau, the New Brunswick Hall of Fame driver, and trainer who won six races last Friday night, is back in action on the card. He will drive in seven of the eight races.

Barrieau will drive two-year-old My Happy Place (Shadow Play) in the $ 15,000 filly division. She was a winner in her first lifetime appearance for Barrieau and trainer Ron Matheson in 1:59.2. She’s a filly purchased as a yearling for $31,000 by Patrick Morris.

In the $15,000 colt division, Here On Earth from the Melissa Rennie Stable will have Adam Merner from post-two and has been enlisted as the morning line favorite. Like A King should take a lot of attention for Gilles Barrieau and owner Jenn Ritchie.

Top overnight event of the night goes for $2500 with Mantario the top pick by the race secretary Brent Briggs. Brock MacEachern owns the horse. Therealprincess and Dr. Mitch Downey comes off a second-place effort in the Standardbred Canada mares series last Friday night.

by Scott Waddell, for Horse Racing New Brunswick