Czar Seelster had to end his top-three streak last week but most of his competition from that start is out of the picture for the Saturday afternoon feature at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park.
First race post time is 12:30 P.M. for the 13-dash program with the Preferred pace lining up in race nine for a $2,500 purse. The Governor’s Plate and Roach MacGregor Gold Cup and Saucer consolation winner, Czar Seelster gets the services of Mike McGuigan in the racebike again this week after finishing fifth in the Preferred class last week for trainer Todd Weatherbee for owner Tammy Johnston of Stratford, P.E.I.
The second, third and fourth-place finishers from that race are not in-to-go locally this week but the winner of that race, the red-hot Three Truths, gets billed as the morning line favourite from post five with Kenny Arsenault in the bike.
Jackson K Down returns to competition this week with Gilles Barrieau in the bike from post one while Winter Blast rides a two-race win streak into the event from post three for driver Jason Hughes. Half Cut has post two in the compact field dropping out of three-year-old stakes racing to take on his aged foes.
Race analyst Les MacIsaac thinks it has been too long since Czar Seelster has seen the winner’s circle and pegs him for the top spot Saturday.
“Last week reinforced the old adage that anything can happen in a horse race when Czar Seelster finally finished out of the top three,” MacIsaac said. “He's now gone close to a month without a win which is an eternity for him and since his two main rivals are absent from this one he gets top billing.”
The Saturday afternoon card also has the Maritime Breeders final for two- and three-year-old trotters. Race four has the $7,000 Maritime Breeders two-year-old trot final with Mile Hill Willie riding a five-race win streak into the event with post two for trainer-driver Gilles Barrieau and owner Paul Morrison of Cardigan, P.E.I.
The three-year-old trotters line up for a $7,850 pot in race seven with West River Cindy (Ken MacDonald) leaving from post three while Maritime champion Buddy White has post six for driver Adam Merner.
Race 10 on the card sees the racing return of stallion Rollwithitharry, who has rail control in the $1,800 class with Barrieau in the bike for trainer Jackie Matheson and owner Woodmere Farms of Marshfield, P.E.I. Rollwithitharry has not raced since 2015, coming to P.E.I. for stud duty starting in 2016 and selling his first crop at public auction this fall. He is installed at 8-1 morning line odds for the Saturday afternoon program.
For full entries, click the following link: Saturday Entries - Charlottetown Driving Park.
(with files from Red Shores)