Trainer-driver Darryl MacLean indicated earlier this year that 2009 Maritime trotting champion, Scarlet Patti, was well prepared for her sophomore debut and on Wednesday, the homebred daughter of Pjs Nabby-Scarlet Nite didn’t
disappoint as she clicked in one of four $4,400 Maple Leaf Trot divisions at Red Shores at Summerside Raceway, winning by open lengths. Two-year-olds were also out and about for their first stakes engagement of the season in 11 Callbeck events.
MacLean sent Scarlet Patti straight to the lead in the second division from Post 3 and reached the opening quarter in :30.4 with her nearest rival trailing six lengths behind. She was away by 10 lengths by the time she hit the half in 1:01.3 and extended that lead to 15 lengths by three-quarters in 1:33. As the heavy favourite entered the stretch, she was a solid 16 lengths to the good and cruised home to win in a career-best clocking of 2:05. West River Unique (Clare MacDonald), the longest shot on the board at 48-1, nearly cut Scarlet Patti's margin in half as she stormed home for second, finishing eight and three-quarters of a length behind. Bo Best (Emmett Bernard, Jr.) rounded out the top three.
Scarlet Patti paid $3.20 to win for the 11th consecutive time. The brown filly won 11 of her 13 starts last year including the Atlantic Breeders Crown, Maritime Breeders and Island Breeders finals earning $35,631 for owner Gord MacLean of Winsloe, PE. The lion’s share of the purse pushes her bankroll to $37,611.
Southfield Sam broke his maiden in an earlier Maple Leaf Trot division with a front-end effort for driver Terry Gallant and trainer Robert Bowness. The son of Pjs Nabby-Gold Pendant cleared the lead ahead of eventual second-place finisher Howmacs Amigo (Earl Smith) past the first quarter and fought off favourite Diamond Mine (Kenny Arsenault) in the stretch to win the fastest split in 2:02.3 by one length. Diamond Mine settled for third.
Southfield Sam paid $7.00 to win as the 3-2 third choice. The bay gelding went 0-for-5 as a freshman, but after finishing a close second in his sophomore debut, a conditioner on June 24 at Charlottetown, he got the job done tonight for Southfield Farms Inc. of Summerside, PE.
With favourite B J Eldorado (Mike Stevenson) making an early break in the third division, J K Queen fired to the top at the first quarter for trainer-driver Joseph Smallwood and remained untested en route to a one and a half length score in 2:03.3. Rosetown Dove (Corey MacPherson) was second-best with Dusty Lane Ace (Darren Crowe) finishing over 10 lengths back in third.
J K Queen, the 7-2 third choice in the field, returned $9.10 to her backers for her first win of the season in two starts. Smallwood also owns and bred the Nikes Image-Princetown Lynn filly with Charlottetown’s Norman Clarey. J K Queen was lightly raced as a freshman making just two starts – she won her career debut in an Atlantic Sires Stakes event.
Making just her second career start and first of the season, Rustico Tapdancer rallied from off the pace to capture the final division in 2:03.2 by three-quarters of a length over Porter (Kenny Arsenault) and Glencove Umay (Gary Chappell). The 2-1 popular choice was driven by trainer, breeder and part-owner John Pineau. Myron Ford and Sharon Macleod of Charlottetown, PE also share ownership of the Meadowagogo-Askmetodance miss.
A total of 11 Callbeck Stakes completed the action-packed program Wednesday night with five $5,600 divisions for pacing colts, four $6,500 divisions for pacing fillies and a pair of $5,800 events for trotters. The card made history by sporting a 15-dash presentation of two and three-year pacers and trotters in stakes action.
Pacing colts Coach (2:01.4), Enforcore (2:00), Putnams Power (2:00.2), Tiger Williams (2:03) and Island Inspiration (2:00) took top honours in their respective divisions while Forceful Putnam (2:04.1), Our Lady Byng (2:02.1), Acton Noisey (2:03.3) and Woodmere Gorgeous (2:02.4) were the best of the fillies.
Maple Leaf Spirit (2:10.4) and Waiting On A Woman (2:08) took the trotting events.
Racing returns to Charlottetown Thursday and Saturday nights at 7 p.m. with Lobster Carnival Week racing, featuring two Governor's Plate eliminations, Sunday at Red Shores Summerside. Post time is 1 p.m.
To view Wednesday’s results, click here.