Woodstock Raceway opening day stakes preview

Not only is harness racing returning to Woodstock Raceway in New Brunswick, but there is also a pair of stake races on the schedule for opening day.

RACE 3: DAWN BREMNER MEMORIAL STAKE 3-YEAR-OLD FILLIES – $10,700

1. RUN FOR THE MONEY (7-2)
2. GOSISTERSOULSISTER (3-1)
3. WOODMERE JADE (4-1)
4. SINGING RAMONA (5-2)
5. TOO MUCH FOR YOU (6-1)

Gosistersoulsister (Arthur Blue Chip) picked up her first win of the year last week at Summerside Raceway in the PEI Colt Stakes Gold division. She paced the mile in 1:58.1, which was good enough for her new lifetime mark. Unfortunately, she is an all-or-nothing racer since she has four wins but has no other top-three finishes in the eleven-lifetime starts. However, Gosistersoulsister has been slowly improving, and I expect she will continue this weekend and find herself in the winner’s circle.

Singing Ramona (Sportswriter) is still looking for her first win of the year, but this will be her third straight stake race appearance. However, she has still been finding ways to earn a cheque every start this year. Singing Ramona’s last appearance was a third-place finish in the PEI Colt Stakes Gold division at Summerside Raceway. She will need to work to hit her lifetime mark of 1:56.3, but she is still one to watch out for in this race.

I expect Run For The Money (Sportswriter) will round out the top three. She has a win and a second-place finish in four starts this year. Of course, she will need to be better than her lifetime mark of 2:00.0, but having the inside post position should help.

Trey’s Picks: 2-4-1

RACE 5: DAWN BREMNER MEMORIAL STAKE 3-YEAR-OLD COLTS – $10,700

1. HOWMAC CHARMER (6-1)
2. WOODMERE KNIGHT (3-1)
3. STARSHIP ART (5-2)
4. PROUDOFYATODAY (4-1)
5. NO BOATS ON SUNDAY (7-2)

Starship Art (Arthur Blue Chip) has had a nearly perfect start to his racing career. He has two wins and a second-place finish in three starts. Starship Art never raced as a two-year-old, but that does not affect him too much. His lifetime mark is 1:58.2, and his fastest final quarter of a mile time is 28.4. He has effectively shown he can be dangerous out on the oval.

I like Woodmere Knight (Arthur Blue Chip) to finish just behind Starship Art. He made his racing debut technically as a two-year-old on New Year’s Eve. He came back in 2023 and stayed consistent. It took him until last week to get his first win which he did in the PEI Colt Stakes Grassroots at Summerside Raceway. Woodmere Knight paced the mile in 1:59.1 and will be looking to make it two wins in a row on Saturday.

Proudofyatoday (Pang Shui) is my third selection for this race. He has three top-three finishes in four starts this year. He earned his first-lifetime win last weekend at Summerside Raceway and paced the mile in 1:58.1. Proudofyatoday will have some talented horses around him, but if he can finish near the top if he is provided with the space. I consider him my third selection, but he could easily win.

Trey’s Pick: 3-2-4

Woodstock Raceway will host six races on Saturday, and the action starts at 1:00 p.m. ADT.

by Trey Colbeck, for Harnesslink