Maritime Breeders Finals To Defending Champs

Defending Maritime Breeders champions Allbentouttashape and Meridian Magic were standouts once again in winning their 2010 finals for sophomore pacing colts and fillies on an action-packed Saturday card at Charlottetown Driving Park

, which also featured eliminations for the Cecil Ladner Memorial.

In the $24,400 sophomore pacing colt final, the Doug Harkness Memorial, Allbentouttashape turned in his best effort yet winning in a career-best 1:56.1.

Allbentouttashape left from the outside Post 8 and was three-wide going into the first turn for driver Ken Arsenault. The son of Quick Comeback-C A Lady advanced to the lead, clearing just before the first quarter flashed up in :28.1, and carved out the remaining panels of :58.1 and 1:27.1. The even-money favourite rebuffed first over Mr Salming (Gillies Barrieau) en route to the 1-3/4 length victory in 1:56.1. T M Top Gun (Marc Campbell) closed well to finish second while Mr Salming settled for third.

Allbentouttashape paid $4.10 to win for the third time this season in as many starts. The lion’s share of the purse pushed the bay gelding’s earnings to $18,065 this year and $95,022 lifetime. Trained by Sean Dooley, who is apart of the Dooley Boys Racing Stable of Halifax, NS, Allbentouttashape has won 16 of 19 races with three second-place efforts.

Earlier on the card, Arsenault and his pupil, the streaking Meridian Magic, captured the $29,750 Maritime Breeders Final for three-year-old pacing fillies, dubbed the Ken Starratt Memorial.

With Bettim Laura (Jeff Lilley) making a costly break at the :28.1 opening quarter, Meridian Magic inherited the lead and battled with Charlottes Coast (Danny Romo) past middle splits of :59.1 and 1:28.2. The daughter of Largo-Hot Asset won the duel as she kicked home in :30.4 for the 2-1/4 length score in 1:59.1. Charlottes Coast stayed for second with Woodmere Rose (Gary Chappell) finishing back in third.

Meridian Magic paid $3.30 to win. The filly is also a perfect three-for-three in 2010 with $22,774 banked and has won 15 consecutive races for breeder Barry Martin and James Gillis of Sydney, NS. She has put together a record of 15-1-2 in 18 career starts for earnings totaling $99,136.

Eliminations for the Cecil Ladner Memorial for aged pacers went to front-steppers St Star Pete and Outlawpositivcharg, who turned in matching 1:55.3 victories.

In the first elim, St Pete Star and trainer-driver Danny Romo advanced to the lead from third after a :28.1 first quarter and carved out the remaining fractions of :58.1 and 1:26.3 en route to victory in 1:55.3. The first over This Is Your Night (Darren Crowe) finished 2-3/4 behind in second and Pans O Silver (Brodie MacPhee) rounded out the top three.

The popular choice paid $3.80 to win. Paul Gray of Pugwash, NS owns the son of Life Sign-Dragon Temper, who has won half of his six starts in 2010, finishing second or third in the other half. The career winner of 24 races has earned $4,867 of his $288,607 bankroll this year.

Outlawpositivcharg, a runner-up in last year’s Cecil Ladner Memorial, left from Post 7 with trainer-driver Terry Gallant and raced past stations of :28, :58.3 and 1:27.2 before stopping the clock in 1:55.3.
Mighty And Strong (Gilles Barrieau) followed along in second and finished 3-1/2 lengths back while Hilo (Danny Romo) advanced first over to get third.

Outlawpositivcharg paid $3.90 to win as the odds-on favourite. The six-year-old son of Blissfull Hall-Electromagnetic notched his fifth win in eight starts this year and pushed his earnings to $6,442 for owner Fred Lamont of Calgary, AB. A winner of 33 races lifetime, the bay gelding has stashed away $119,978 in purse earnings.

The $5,000 (added) Cecil Ladner Memorial take place next Saturday, June 26.

In regular racing action, the Mitchell Tierney-trained Dusty Lane Shelby, with driver Corey MacPherson, converted from the pocket to take her second straight $1,400 Open Trot in 2:02 by half a length for owner Jaime Lynne Tierney of Cornwall, PE. The eight-year-old daughter of Imperial Angus-Dusty Lane Nipper out-sprinted favourite Dunmore Alpha (Edward Smallwood) for the 5-1 upset.

To view Saturday's results, Have something to say about this? Log in or create an account to post a comment.