D Gs Camme added his name to another track's record books as he toured Truro Raceway in 1:53.2 to win the $7,500 Exhibition Cup Invitational Pace and close out an action-packed card of harness racing on Saturday, July 23.
Gillies Barrieau guided the six-year-old Blissfull Hall gelding through fractions of :28, :56.4 and 1:25 en route to the 1:53.2 triumph. The winning time matched the all-age track record that was established in 2006 by Dunachton Gale and equalled on three other occasions by Formal Affair, Duke Did It and more recently Big Surf in last year's Exhibition Cup. The defending champion followed three lengths behind D Gs Camme to finish second in this year's edition with Corey MacPherson aboard while his Trevor Hicken stablemate Midnight Play and Clare MacDonald finished third.
Jackie Matheson trains D Gs Camme, who also holds the 1:54.1 all-age track record at Northside Downs and a 1:53 record for aged pacing stallions at Summerside Raceway. The speedy pacer is owned by Matheson's father Ron, along with fellow Charlottetown partners Quentin Bevan, Hal Bevan and Tom Clark. He now has six top-two finishes in as many starts this year, including a runner-up effort in last weekend's all-age Summerside record mile (1:51.4) in the Governor's Plate.
Ramblinglily followed up her June 19 first leg victory in the Atlantic Aged Mares Pacing Series with another one on Saturday and just missed Truro's distaff track record by one-fifth of a second. Driven by Walter Cheverie, the six-year-old Articulator-Crafty Jewel mare followed pacesetter Best Risque throughout fractions of :28.1, :57.3 and 1:26.2 and collared her at the wire to win the $6,040 second leg of the series by a head in 1:55.1. Allan Jones bred, trains and co-owns Ramblinglily with Normand Leger of Shediac, N.B. The dominant distaffer has finished no worse than second in all nine of her starts this year that includes six wins.
Driver Corey MacPherson and trainer Ronnie Gass teamed up for a pair of Atlantic Sires Stakes victories with Magical Cowboy and Dusty Lane Arby in the evening's "A" event for three-year-old male pacers.
In the first of three $7,020 divisions, Magical Cowboy converted off a pocket trip to defeat pacesetter Howmacsblackjack by half a length in 1:58.1, with Silverhill Storm finishing two lengths behind in third. The Brandons Cowboy-Meridian Magic gelding now boasts back-to-back wins in the opening legs of the Sires Stakes for breeder Barry Martin of Sydney, N.S. and co-owner Stephen Gass of Cornwall, P.E.I.
Dusty Lane Arby rallied off cover to down race leader Jackson K Down and pocket-sitter Lukes Cowboy by one and a half lengths in 1:57.1. Unraced as a two-year-old, the Brandons Cowboy-Tara Artiste gelding earned his first Sires Stakes win following a sixth-place finish in last weekend's opening leg at Summerside. Dusty Lane Arby was bred by his trainer and is owned by Dale and Ronnie Rennie of Elmsdale, P.E.I., and Shelley Gass of Cornwall, P.E.I.
Offshore Cowboy completed a sweep of the "A" divisions for sire Brandons Cowboy as he wore down Heart And Soul to win his second straight Sires Stakes contest by half a length in 1:57.1, with Wishiwasagigolo following two lengths behind in third. Jason Hughes drove the homebred gelding out of Charlottes Candy for trainer Don Milligan and P.E.I. owners Kent Williams of Ellerslie and Lyndon Hardy of Coleman.
The $2,500 "B" division winners were the maiden-breaking Cam Crazy (1:59.4) for trainer/driver Mark Bradley and A Bs Future (2:00) for driver Clare MacDonald and trainer Bernie MacDonald.
The three-year-old pacing colts and geldings will face off next in their third leg of the Atlantic Sires Stakes on August 15 at Charlottetown Driving Park.
In other action, Icandothat held on in a four-across finish to win the $4,500 final of the Wilsons Home Heating Fillies & Mares Series. Trained and driven by Ryan Ellis for his wife Danica, elimination winner Icandothat held on by half a length for the 2:00.3 victory in the final over pocket-sitter Lifeinthecountry, with the other elim winner Modern Best closing off the cover of C L La Rousse.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Truro Raceway.