With a Maritime champion season in her rear view mirror, Arc Light has risen to fight off the top mares on the East Coast every week and that will continue during a special Saturday afternoon (Dec. 7) at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park, while Rose Run Quest, a dominant force in Atlantic Canada all season long, will look to reignite his magic in the Sunday afternoon (Dec. 8) feature.

The 13-dash Saturday afternoon card has a 12:30 p.m. first race post time on Customer Appreciation Day, sponsored by the P.E.I. Harness Racing Industry Association.

There will be thousands of dollars of prizes to be won including Cavendish Beach Music Festival tickets, an iPad, an iPhone, a 65-inch Samsung television, $1,000 gift cards for Sobey's and Feasible Fuels, and more. To qualify, customers mist simply wager throughout the race card and winners will be selected at random through the wagering terminals.

The top pacing mares square off in race 12 of the day for a $2,550 purse. Maritime Breeders Championship winner Arc Light has graduated to the Open level since finishing her stakes campaign and has taken the task in stride, winning her last two outings for trainer-driver Marc Campbell and owner Grayland Farm. Her latest win against Open company put her over $50,000 in seasonal earnings, and the daughter of Camystic will strive for more of the same from post 5 on Saturday afternoon. Tell Me Why has been razor sharp as of late with six straight top-three finishes, and will have post 1 on Saturday for driver Corey MacPherson and trainer Joe MacDonald. Collective Wisdom garnered a cheque against the boys last week and returns to female company this week from post 4 with recent O’Brien Award of Horsemanship nominee Gilles Barrieau at the lines.

Race analyst Les MacIsaac sees the road to the winner’s circle going through Arc Light.

“It is hard to believe a three-year-old filly can be so dominant against aged mares, but this one is,” MacIsaac said of Arc Light. “She hit another gear up the backstretch in her last two and never looked back, so you got to think a three-peat is a distinct possibility.”

Rounding out the field are Mrs Dragonfire (David Dowling) and Drivingthedragon N (Jason Hughes).

The trot war continues in race seven, which will go for a $2,350 purse. Star Photo is the top choice in a compact field of five open trotters for driver Jason Hughes, trainer Kevin Gillis and owners Robi Hughes, Eric MacLauchlan, James Perrot and Blair MacLauchlan. Freddie went down to defeat in his latest and has post four this week for trainer-driver Marc Campbell.

The 10-dash Sunday program will be the final regularly scheduled Sunday card of the season, and the first race of the day goes postward at 12 noon.

The $2,950 featured preferred pace will line up in race nine of the program. Trainer Marc Campbell will be in the bike behind Rose Run Quest from post five as the morning line favourite in the compact field. The pacer bought himself a ticket to the $200,000 club in his latest, but failed to make the winner’s circle as he finished second to Woodmere Ideal Art. Blair Hansen owns the seven-year-old son of If I Can Dream. The only horses to get their noses in front of Rose Run Quest in his last six starts were Woodmere Ideal Art, who is absent this week; and Euchred, who is racing in Ontario. Post two belongs to Burn Out Hanover with Gilles Barrieau driving for trainer Jeff Holmes, while Varadero Hanover will guard the rail from the Jeff Wallace stable for driver Ken Murphy.

MacIsaac sees the absence of the two horses that beat Rose Run Quest in his last two starts to be a sign of clear sailing this week.

“Rose Run Quest has had back-to-back weeks without a win, which is an eternity for this guy,” MacIsaac said. “Since the ones that managed to get the better of him in those starts are absent today, there could be nothing to stand in his way.”

Other entries are Creepin (Dowling) and Midnight Matt (Hughes).

The afternoon back-up pace lines up in race eeight, with Mick Dundee pegged as the one to beat in the $2,600 class from post three fresh off of a trio of cheques earned at the preferred level. Don MacNeill owns, trains and drives his homebred pacer, who will look to add to his five seasonal victories. Winter Blast (Hughes) and Eagle Jolt (Campbell) are listed as top contenders.

The Eddie Power Memorial will line up in race seven of the program with Three Truths favoured off the class drop from post six for driver Kenny Arsenault, trainer Paul Doyle, and owners Jason Rice and Darren Doyle.

For race programs and more, visit www.redshores.ca.

To view this weekend's harness racing entries at Charlottetown, click the following links: Saturday Entries | Sunday Entries.

(Red Shores)