Atlantic stars to battle in $41,470 Barrieau/McIsaac

Horse Racing New Brunswick is proud to host the annual running of the prestigious Barrieau/ McIsaac  harness racing stake named in honour of two legends not only in Saint John but all of the Maritimes.

Saturday’s (Jul. 9) race card will get underway at 1:00 P.M and the prestigious final has a lucrative purse of $ 41,470 and has been carded as race five with the full field of eight starters.

One dominant stake horse in the last two-years has no doubt been Fern Hill General (Malicious) from the stable of veteran, trainer and driver Earl Smith. He has drawn the coveted rail position in the rich final. He’s owned by the tandem of Peter Smith and Gerald Morrissey of P.E.I.

His sire is a top producing stud on P.E.I. ” The General ” sports a life’s mark of 1:55.1 taken at two and Brodie MacPhee has been the driver in all of his lifetime starts. He won his elimination last week over a sloppy track in 2:01.1. Bettors have had a lot of confidence in this pacer, as only three times in his career has he not been the favourite in his sixteen starts. This horse likes to sit up close to the action, so with post-two, he should manage a good trip.

Fern Hill Gusto (Stonebridge Terror) showed his grittiness in last week’s elimination victory for trainer/ driver Marc Campbell after a first-over move just past the quarter. ” Gusto ” was parked the rest of the way last Saturday in the Barrieau/ McIsaac but that didn’t stop the pacer winning over a heavy track in 2:03.2.

He took a new record this season after a thrilling 1:54.4 win in the Maritime Breeders two-weeks ago holding off a surging Alldawaytocardigan who also will compete in Saturday’s final. He has earned just over $ 34,000 in just fourteen career starts. Campbell has used him in many ways over his career and versatility will increase his chances in the final. He was a winner in his elimination over the sloppy going in 2:03.2.

Scoring post-three is Howmac Maximus (Articulator), owned by the estate of Walter Simmons and Wade Sorrie, who was purchased as a yearling for $ 9000 and came from the much respected Howmac Farms as a yearling. Last week, catch-driver Todd Trites took the pacer back and he was a fast closing fourth at the wire to catch a berth in the final.

He took his lifetime mark at two, and has earned just over $ 25,000 lifetime. With post-three, he should get a good trip for Spence, and he is another horse that is extremely versatile. As it usually does, it will come down to what type of trip he gets, but will be one to watch.

Scoring post-four is the only filly in the final. To say she has New Brunswick connections, is an understatement. Orrsterror (Stonebridge Terror), owned by Dale & Robert Orr of Saint John, she was bred by Dale in Saint John.
She spent the winter in Saint John and was under the watchful eye of trainer Gordon White as she made her way back to the races before being sent to Barrieau, now a resident of Prince Edward Island. Stephen Mason won with her earlier this season here at E.P.R in 2:04.

She has over $ 13,000 earned in her young career. Four starts ago, she paced her fastest ever mile in the Donnie Turner stakes, pacing in 1:56.4. She sports a lifetime mark of 1:59.1. Although she lacks experience compared to some of the more seasoned three-year-old’s, she has lots of things going for her. She is peaking right now, and comes off a second place effort in the elimination of the Barrieau/ McIsaac last week. She raced timed in 2:01.4 over the heavy track.

She also has the services of Saint John Hall of Fame inductee and O’Brien award winner, Gilles Barrieau in the bike heading into the finale. She’s a versatile filly and really can throw in a great last quarter when she is in striking distance. Saturday’s finale marks just the filly’s ninth lifetime start, and she will be pressed by the ” boys” ” in the field, but she showed last week, she can’t be a pushover.

Earl Watts is no stranger to stake success on the Maritime stakes circuit and he co-owns the five horse in the final of the Barrieau McIsaac with Soul Assassin (Malicious). David Dowling will drive the pacer who is co-owned by the master of the Windermere Farms in P.E.I.

Hollis Newson and Roger Burns also share ownership in the pacer who was purchased as a yearling for a lofty price tag of $ 35,000. He has earned a good portion of that back with close to $30,000 in his young career.
He has raced three times previously here at Exhibition Park Raceway and has never missed the top three. He will be looking to continue that trend and looks to take-out his rivals on Saturday.

This year’s fastest winner in the final this year will bust the gate for Myles Heffernan as Alldawaytocardigan (Tobago Cays) from post-six. Heffernan had the rail birds buzzing at Truro Raceway in the Donnie Turner stake back in June as he stepped to a sizzling new record of 1:54.3. He earned a berth in the final with one of the best performances of the eliminations. He was just quarter length off the win last week despite getting parked, and breathing a lot of Saint John air out there.

Jackie Heffernan of Glace Bay, N.S. owns the gelding who was purchased in the Atlantic Classic yearling sale for $ 17,500. He’s already accumulated over $31,000 in winnings. He loves to go off the front end but has his work cut out for him from post six. Heffernan will be looking for a bigtime start, and should make it interesting despite the post.

Post seven will go to one of the big surprises from last week’s elimination, as Mitch (Stonebridge Terror) turned in a stellar second place effort for driver Todd Trites. George Rennison trains the gelding who sports a lifetime mark of 1:58.3 taken at Summerside Raceway. Hollis Newson co-owns Mitch which gives him ownership on two separate entities in the final eight.

Ric McNutt and Debbie Denney also share part ownership in the pacer. He will have to overcome the seven posts in the final but who else but the leading dash winner the past two seasons at E.P.R, Todd Trites will be looking to do just that.

Rounding out the big event will be P.E.I owned Zendayacougarbeach (Cougar Hall). There’s nothing worse than having to be hampered by post eight on a half-mile track but that’s the challenge for Zendayacougarbeach who scores from the outside post. One thing he has going for him is that he can finish the mile strong. Last week, the speedy colt ran into lots of traffic issues and rallied to get the fourth to make the final.

Juanita & Alan MacLeod own the pacer who turned out his best performance of his young career two weeks ago with a 1:55 clocking. He was bred by well known breeder William Andrew and this horse has the most career starts of the field as Saturday will mark his twenty-second start. Post eight will be one to overcome, but if the speed is solid up front, and the fractions keep moving along, he’s got a good shot.

If you can’t be on-track for Saturday’s final, you can catch the race live on Universum Media’s YouTube channel, or by visiting Horse Racing New Brunswick’s official website.

Wagering is available through H.P.I Bet, and available at H.R.N.B simulcast venues in Moncton and Fredericton.

For complete race entries, click here.

by Scott Waddell, for Exhibition Park