The Weekend of Champions kicks off Saturday afternoon with Atlantic Breeders Crown consolation action at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park before Sunday's championship card of harness racing.

Saturday's 12-dash card has a 12:30 P.M. start time featuring four consolation races in the Atlantic Sires Stakes pacing divisions.

The first $5,000 consolation hits the track in Race 5 with the two-year-old pacing fillies in play. Cheeky Cherry gets the respect of race secretary Gerard Smith as the morning line favourite with rail control for trainer-driver Clare MacDonald and owner Earith Riley of Summerside, P.E.I. The rookie daughter of Westwardho Hanover has yet to make the winner’s circle in her career despite five top-three finishes from eight lifetime starts. Other top entries include Arc Light (Marc Campbell) and Woodmere Oleksiak (David Dowling).

Purple Poet gets top billing in the $5,000 two-year-old pacing colt Atlantic Breeders Crown consolation but must contend with post eight. Gilles Barrieau does the driving in his Race 7 contest for trainer Robert Phillips and owner Kevin Harvey of Hammonds Plains, N.S. J Ks Boy is second choice from post two for driver Campbell while Knockout Punch (Jason Hughes) rides a streak of second-place finishes into the race with post 6.

Race 9 has the three-year-old pacing filly consolation with Cherry Pop the early favourite with rail control for trainer-driver Darren Crowe and owners David Livingstone, Charles Piper Jr., Randall MacIntosh and Robert Siteman, all of Nova Scotia. The Ameripan Gigolo lass sports four wins in 2018 and over $10,000 in earnings. Silverhill Misty (Hughes) is posted as top competition from post two while Elm Grove Maddy has been solid all season and gets post seven this week for driver Dale Spence.

Race 11 features sophomore pacing colts in Atlantic Breeders Crown consolation action. Dustylanewesty is the morning line choice with post five for trainer-driver MacDonald and owners Ian Tate of St. Andrew’s, N.S., and Riley Farms Ltd., of Summerside, P.E.I. The colt recently took a lifetime best of 1:57.3 in stakes action in Nova Scotia but will contend with Blackriver Ripper (Redmond Doucet) and Thegreatmaelstrom (Ken Murphy) on Saturday afternoon.

Magical Mistress has been perfect her whole career. On Sunday afternoon she will show if her streak can last through a championship final at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park.

Sunday's championship program gets underway at 12:30 P.M. with 13 races scheduled including the Atlantic Breeders Crown finals for two and three-year-old pacers and trotters.

Magical Mistress has her streak on the line in Race 6 , the $20,000 Atlantic Breeders Crown final for two-year-old pacing fillies. Adam Merner handles the Stephen Gass trainee from post seven as she continues her undefeated season of nine races. Barry Martin of Sydney, N.S., owns the daughter of Camystic, who must contend with Therealdeal (Walter Cheverie) and Woodmere Tango (Clare MacDonald) on the afternoon.

Woodmere Bolt and Red Dirt Boomer will tangle for supremacy in the two-year-old pacing colt division carded as Race 8 with a $20,000 purse up for grabs. The Atlantic Breeders Crown final has Woodmere Bolt leaving from post four for trainer-driver Earl Smith while the Gilles Barrieau-trained and -driven Red Dirt Boomer has post five. Woodmere Bolt was dominant the first part of the season with seven straight wins but Red Dirt Boomer has defeated him the past two starts.

The ultra-competitive three-year-old pacing filly division has its $20,000 Atlantic Breeders Crown final in Race 10. Bettim Jackie has been installed as the morning line favourite from post 6 with Barrieau at the lines for co-owner and trainer Jeff Lilley of Milton and co-owners Blair MacLauchlan of Charlottetown, P.E.I., and Danny Purcell of Newport, N.S. The daughter of Andreoli Hanover has six-straight on-the-board finishes as she looks to go over $100,000 in career earnings. Other top contenders are R Es Shabla (Mike McGuigan) with post one and Royaltywestho (Cheverie) from post four.

The other championship final with a undefeated season in play is Race 12, featuring the $20,000 Atlantic Breeders Crown Final for three-year-old pacing colts. Sock It Away has been perfect in 14 outings this year and gets the extra help of the rail on Sunday afternoon for driver Campbell, trainer Kevin MacLean and owner Reg MacPherson of Stratford, P.E.I. Also in the field is Tobins Lightning (Kenny Arsenault) and defending champion Half Cut (Mark Bradley).

Dusty Lane Titan is the favourite in the Atlantic Breeders Crown – Meridian Farms Erwin Andrew Memorial two-year-old trot final in Race 2. Campbell trains and drives the son of Tad The Stud for owner Grayland Farm of Pugwash, N.S, and he'll leave from the less-than-advantageous post seven.

Race 4 is the Atlantic Breeders Crown – Meridian Farms – Louis McIsaac Memorial three-year-old trot final with West River Cindy looking to continue her four-race win streak from post two. Ken MacDonald drives the winner of seven of nine seasonal starts for trainer Clare MacDonald and owner Haley Shepherd of Stratford, P.E.I.

The program will also feature the $5,000 Atlantic Breeders Crown Invitational pace in race 11, as well as an Open trot and a Fillies and Mares Open pace.

For more information on the events surrounding Atlantic Breeders Crown Weekend go to Redshores.ca. For entries for the weekend cards, click the following link: Entries - Charlottetown Driving Park.

(with files from Red Shores)