Amazon Art made the lead as the field rolled in front of the grandstand and completed another lap of the Charlottetown Driving Park oval on top to take the $20,000 James “Roach” MacGregor Gold Cup & Saucer Consolation on Friday night.
After getting away third from the inside post position, Jonathan Drury sent the 7-5 favourite to the lead after a :26.3 opening panel put up by early leavers Mr Perseverance and James MacDonald. Amazon Art hit the half in :54.4 and proceeded to three-quarters in 1:23.4 before drawing off from the field down the stretch. The winning time was 1:52.2. Mach It Big and Brad Forward finished over four lengths behind in second while Modern Xhibit and Patrick Shepherd were third.
"They were rolling along pretty good [in the first quarter]," said Drury in a post-race interview with Ken Warkentin. "I would have liked to have gotten away on the front if I could of, but he got a little sideways leaving so I tried to remove to the front because he's really at his best when he's there.
"He likes to fight them off when they come at him, but when he's off-the-pace sometimes he doesn't like to go by them."
Randy Van Meer trains the seven-year-old Artsplace gelding for owner Harry Locke of Oshawa, Ont. The win was his 26th lifetime and pushed his bankroll to $377,420.
Amazon Art provided Drury with his first drive in the Gold Cup & Saucer last year and earned a top three finish. This year, Drury will steer another Van Meer trainee, Savannah Splendor, in the final from post eight on Saturday.
"I'm glad to be back. There's going to be lots of early speed," said Drury, referring to Hall of Famer Carl Jamieson's statement earlier in the night that he would be leaving with Up The Credit from the rail. "I'm just going to lay off and hope for the best. If they can go some big fractions, he might be able to pick some of them off."
Friday's double-header also featured the Lady Slipper Stakes for three-year-old pacing fillies, which was split into a pair of $11,700 Gold divisions during the evening and three $5,800 Grassroots divisions contested on the afternoon program.
Rose Valley drew off to a 10-1/2 length victory in 1:56 flat in the first Gold split for trainer Mike Campbell and owners M. Dawn and Theodore Bremner of Jemseg, N.B. Kenny Arsenault sent the Brandons Cowboy filly first over from third near the third quarter mark and kicked away from her rivals to knock five full seconds off her lifetime mark. Dont Tell Cindy and Kaitlins Kowgirl rounded out the top three finishers.
Ultimate Cowgirl completed a sweep of the Gold divisions for sire Brandons Cowboy as she prevail by a quarter-length over pacesetter Western Judy in 1:56.3 for trainer Sifroi Melanson and the Ultimate Stable of Greater Lakeburn, N.B. The hot-handed Robert Shepherd sent her on the attack after getting away fourth and wore down the popular front-runner for a new lifetime mark. Misssassy Attitude finished over two lengths behind in third.
Driver Brodie MacPhee and trainer Tom Weatherbie teamed up for a Grassroots double with Seawind Rianna (1:59.2) and the streaking Regal One (1:58.2) while trainer/driver Ryan Perrot captured the other event with Ultrasleek (1:59.3).
In other action, former Lady Slipper Stakes winner Est Non Ila Dulcis set a new trotting track record with a dazzling 15-1/12 length romp in 1:58.2. The winning time shaved one full second off Real Housewife's aged trotting mare record set last weekend and was two-fifths better than the all-age trot record co-held by Waiting On A Woman and Moblessinsdinblues. Trainer Marc Campbell steered Angus Buntain's four-year-old Northern Bailey mare through fractions of :28.2, :57.4, and 1:28.4 with a :29.3 final frame to score her first win of the year.
The stage and spotlights are set for the 54th running of the Sobeys Gold Cup & Saucer Saturday at Red Shores Racetrack & Casino. The field will be called to the gate at two minutes to midnight over the legendary Charlottetown Driving Park oval. Post time for the 14 dash program is 7 p.m.
Customers will have an opportunity to play several promos on the card including a Pick 4 with a guaranteed $10,000 pool beginning on race 11. Players will be able to select Pick 3 beginning on races six, nine and 12 while race 13 will also offer a late double.
The action will be carried live from Charlottetown on the Bell Aliant Race Day broadcast at www.redshores.ca and from the following locations.
- Rideau & teletheatres
- Sudbury & teletheatres
- Inverness
- Truro
- Saint John (EPR)
- Fredricton
- WEG
- Western Fair
- Flamboro
- Georgian
- Trois Rivieres
- Assiniboia
- The Red Mile
- Freehold
- Meadowlands
- Yonkers
- The Meadows
- Hoosier
- Suffolk
- Plainridge
- Running Aces
- Los Alamitos
To view Friday's harness racing results, click on the following links: Friday Afternoon / Friday Night