It was wall-to-wall stakes at Summerside Raceway on Monday, as the PEI half-miler hosted the Joe O'Brien Memorial Stakes – two $9,600 "Gold" divisions and a trio of $5,000 "Grassroots" divisions – in addition to a pair of $5,000 Governor's Plate eliminations.
Riccaras Sun won the faster of two gold divisions of the Joe O'Brien Memorial, missing the track record for three-year-old pacers by just two fifths of a second.
Gilles Barrieau drove the bay gelded son of Allamerican Native to an open lengths victory in 1:56.2 for owner Kenneth MacInnis of Charlottetown and trainer Trevor Hicken.
"If I had known we were that close to a track record, I think he had enough in the tank to set the record," said Barrieau.
Fiddler Aeneas (Darren Crowe) got up for second with the show money going to Van Zant (Ronnie Matheson).
The other division went to Barrieau and the Island-bred Accelerated Force in a personal best of 1:56.2. He defeated Quick Dragon (Danny Romo) and Valeader (Walter Cheverie).
The win was the second in six starts this year for the Force Of Life gelding, who is co-owned by Barrieau with his father Alfred of Dieppe, and long-time partner Michael Clinton of Saint John.
Lowell Balderson of North Wiltshire raised both of the divisional winners.
In the Grassroots divisions of the stake, Minglewood captured the fastest division with a 1:59.1 maiden mark for Cape Breton owners Kenneth MacDougall, Wayne McGean and Allan Black.
The Cammibest gelding overtook Showmeasign (Ken Murphy) in the lane for the victory with Bubs Last (Terry Gallant) finishing third.
Lifes A Blast, in rein to Earl Smith, got up in the final strides to nip Largos Light (Cheverie), in 2:00.1 for Larry Chappell and Gerald Morrissey.
Panzo Two took a new record of 2:00.3 in the final division for Brian MacPhee and owner Donna Hickox of Hunter River.
He charged to the front from the eight-hole and managed to hold off Island Power in deep stretch to win his $5,000 split. Just Donegal was third.
In the $5,000 Governor's Cup eliminations, Astronomical and Outlawpositivcharg won as they pleased in their respective $5,000 eliminations.
Astronomical, in rein to Dr. Ian Moore, rolled the field through panels of :27.3, :57.4 and 1:28 in the first split before stepping home in :29.1 en route to the nose decision in a time of 1:57.1. Force Ore Finesse was second best and Mighty And Strong finished third.
The Moore-trained six-year-old son of Astreos is owned by Moore and partners William Shearer and R G McGroup Ltd.
Outlawpositivcharg came within two-fifths of a second from equaling the all-age track record when he stormed home to win the second elimination in a time of 1:54.2 for trainer/driver Terry Gallant.
The four-year-old Blissfull Hall gelding used a :28.1 closing quarter to overtake pacesetter Henschke A in deep stretch. Outlawpositivcharg pulled away to win by a pair of lengths over Henschke A. Dance Hanover rounded out the top three.
Fred Lamont of Calgary, AB holds the papers on the winner, who pushed his lifetime earnings over the $36,000 mark with the win.
(With files from Summerside Raceway)
To view Monday's results, click here.