Walter Dale Memorial kicks off New Brunswick season

Connell Park in Woodstock, New Brunswick will be the place to be on Monday, July 1st as Horse Racing New Brunswick will jumpstart the 2024 harness racing season.

Over $20,000 in purse money to be doled out on Monday and the $8,000 Walter Dale Memorial has drawn a field of five including two new horses.

There are a total of seven races in the afternoon which will see post time at 1:00 P.M in the traditional July 1st program. New race secretary Brent Biggs has assembled a tremendous card.

Looking at the field of starters in the coveted Walter Dale Memorial, Briggs has enlisted The Bird Dance N (A Rocknroll Dance) as the morning line favorite. Jose Cervantes, Nazareth Pennsylvania owns the nine-year old veteran. He sports a lifetime mark of 1:50.1 and career earnings north of $300,000.

He ships in from the state of New York, where he competed in an open pace lately at Saratoga. Dan Deslandes drives the pacer. Should he win, he will garner his 40th lifetime win. Dr. Mitch Downey will debut One Eight Hundred as a son of the incomparable Somebeachsomewhere who comes in with some incredible stats.

He was sold for an incredible $800,000 and sports an eye-catching lifetime record of 1:48. He has drawn post four and is a winner of over $ 200,000 lifetime. With the breeding on this horse, he could be a potential stallion for Downey.

All Bets On Tex (All Bets Off) has drawn post one and will be driven by Brett LeBlanc .He showed a 1:54.2 mile last week at Red Shores.

Jeffrey Lilley, Blair Maclauchlan, Charlottetown, Kent Livingston, Cornwall-Marc Gallant and ship in from P.E.I. He took a new mark this season in Ontario of 1:51.4.

Nova Scotia pacer Batterup Hanover (Betting Line) with Paul Langille driving will bust the gate from post two. He’s owned by Debbie M Francis, Sweets Corner-Rosanne M Langille, Lower Onslow-Douglas G Lowthers, Inverness-Chantel B Langille, Lower Onslow, NS.

Batterup Hanover has a win in 1:54.3 over the half-mile track at Truro Raceway, Rounding out the Walter Dale starters is Island Beach Boy, a winner over Red Shores this year in 1:54.2.

He is owned by Ian Smith and Arnold Hagen and trucks in from P.E.I for the event. Brodie MacPhee is scheduled to drive the tough campaigner.

Horse Racing New Brunswick would like to extend their gratitude to all horsemen and women who entered to race at Connell Park in Woodstock as the province of N.B will again host a traditional Canada Day program.

For complete race entries, click here.

by Scott Waddell, for Horse Racing New Brunswick