The 2021 season at Red Shores at the Summerside Raceway kicks off Monday afternoon (May 24) with a special Victoria Day program.

The 10-dash presentation has a 1 p.m. opening post time with top Prince County pacer Heart And Soul favoured in the $3,100 Preferred Pace, carded as race 9.

The $3,100 class has Heart And Soul drawing the outside in the compact field of five with Jason Hughes at the lines for owner Riley Farms and trainer George Riley. The champion son of Western Paradise has seven wins from 20 starts last year, and will look to bring that consistency back this season. Moonwriter makes his first East Coast start from post 4 with David Dowling at the lines of the Colin Johnson trainee. The veteran son of Sportswriter has 23 wins and career earnings approaching the $400,000 mark.

Soccer Hanover finished a closing third in his 2021 debut in the Preferred class in Charlottetown and gets Corey MacPherson back aboard from post 3 Monday for the Waite stable.

The Backstretch Beat in Monday’s card has Heart And Soul pegged as the top entry:

“Heart And Soul saw the Red Shores Summerside winner’s circle lots last season, doing it from the back or on the lead, it did not seem to matter. His versatile style should work to his advantage again today with so many variables at play.”

Also in that Preferred field are Best To Hurst (Taylor Doyle) and Hunger Pangs (Marc Campbell).

Race 7 has the back-up class of the day, with Kataparka the one to beat from post 6. Campbell will be in the seat for trainer Ron Gass and Island owners Jeremy Hoffman and Lynn Livingstone along with Alberta residents Jeffrey Campbell and Kevin Teasdale. The Well Said four-year-old has been superb since coming east, winning his first start handily and then hanging around for fourth in his latest outing after being parked three-wide before clearing to the lead. Other top entries in that class are Ubettimagoodone (Hughes) and Hes Marvalous (Myles Heffernan Sr.).

On-track customers will be treated to a Customer Appreciation Day promotion presented by the PEI Harness Racing Industry Association with prizes being donated by Noonan Petroleum, Summerside Toyota and Fiveeleven West. Summerside Chrysler Dodge, title sponsor of the Governor’s Plate, is giving fans the opportunity to win tickets to the Grassroots & Cowboy Boots fundraiser, which includes a lobster dinner and a chance to win a new Jeep.

For more information, go to Redshores.ca and wager online at HPIBet.com.

To view Monday's complete entries, click the following link: Monday Entries – Red Shores Summerside.

(Red Shores)