The Atlantic Sires Stakes two-year-old pacing colts took their turn in the spotlight during Old Home Week on Wednesday evening (August 17) at Charlottetown Driving Park.
Driver Gilles Barrieau won five of the evening's 13 races, including three Atlantic Sires Stakes events.
Woodmere Soul lasted on the lead in the $9,980 first 'A' division, carving out fractions of :30.3, 1:00.4 and 1:31.1 along the way before holding off J J Cassius by a head in 2:02.1 over the 'good' track. Barrieau drove the maiden-breaking Articulator-Skylark Hanover colt for trainer Earl Watts and owner Daniel Ross of Belfast, P.E.I. Cowboys Dont Cry finished one and three-quarter lengths behind in third.
Barrieau was back at it in the second 'A' division with Nameisonthehalter, who tracked race leader Jigtime Jones through fractions of :31.4, 1:04.1 and 1:34.1 before closing through the passing lane to score the half-length victory in 2:03. Mighty Cowboy finished two lengths behind in third after challenging first over. Nameisonthehalter earned his second Sires Stakes victory and fourth win from seven career starts. The Brandons Cowboy-Keltic Sarah gelding is owned and trained by Lawrence Snow of Glace Bay, N.S.
Carters Caper made every call a winning one in the third 'A' division as he led through panels of :30.1, 1:02.2 and 1:32.4 en route to the 2:01.1 triumph for trainer/driver Clare MacDonald. The Western Paradise-J J Solara colt, now three-for-four in his career after his second Sires Stakes score, is owned and was bred by Morah Kerr of Greenfield, N.S. and Phonsie MacEachern of Port Hood, N.S. Colin N Down and Tobinator, both winners in the previous two Sires Stakes legs, finished second and third, respectively. Colin N Down tried it first up and tucked into a two-hole gap during the third panel to follow two and a quarter lengths behind Carters Caper for the runner-up honours while Tobinator recovered from an early break in stride and finished four and half lengths back in third.
In the first $2,500 'B' division, Paul MacKenzie drove Windemerefallnforu wire-to-wire in 2:01.3 for Watts. The second division went to the Stephen Mason-trained Dividend Day, who held off Howmacs Dragonator by less than a length in 2:03.4 with Barrieau aboard, and the third split was won by Dixie Flyer and trainer/driver Walter Cheverie in 2:04.2. All three 'B' winners scored their first career wins.
The two-year-old pacing colts are scheduled to face off in the fourth leg of the Atlantic Sires Stakes on September 11 at Inverness Raceway.
To view Wednesday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Wednesday Results - Charlottetown Driving Park.