Consistency paid off for Kyle Mason as the New Brunswick driver won the first leg of the Gamester-Pinkney Young Driving Championship Tuesday evening on the opener of Governor’s Plate Week 2022 at Red Shores at the Summerside Raceway. 

The two-race competition saw Mason garner a pair of seconds to finish the evening with 24 points and crowned the winner of the Gamester Memorial leg of the competition.

The first race of the competition had Private Dancer lead at every call to win in 2:01.4 for driver Zach Conway and trainer Paul Conway while Mason finished second aboard Brookdale Maggie for trainer Phil Sizer. Taylor Doyle controlled the front in the second heat with Stonebridge String and sealed the deal to win in 2:01 with Mason second driving Applecorp Hanover for trainer Nicholas Oakes. For winning the opening leg, Mason received a certificate for a custom made driving suit courtesy of Wendy MacRae and Dunsan Farms.

Mason, Conway and Doyle finished with the most points in the competition and will advance to the final set for August 16 at Red Shores Charlottetown during Old Home Week. The Pinkney leg of the competition is scheduled for July 19 at the Truro Raceway, with the top three drivers from that leg also advancing to the final. 

The Tuesday program also saw the Atlantic Sires Stakes two- and three-year-old trotters in action as Up Helly AA kicked off his sophomore campaign with a win to give him 10 straight victories. Driver Ken MacDonald steered the Clare MacDonald trainee to a 2:04.2 victory in his $9,800 three-year-old trot division for owner Riley Farms Ltd.

Headline Howie won the other three-year-old division in 2:02.3 for trainer/driver Mike McGuigan and owner Jamie Whalen. 

The lone $17,360 Atlantic Sires Stakes two-year-old trot division saw Irish Ray get his career underway with a win by six lengths in 2:02.4 for trainer-driver Marc Campbell and owner Three Wisemen Stable. 

The Tuesday program also featured the official post position draw for the 54th edition of the Governor’s Plate, presented by Summerside Chrysler Dodge, with Twin B Tuffenuff drawing the rail after winning his elimination last Friday.

The $30,000 final will be held Saturday evening (July 16) at Red Shores Summerside as the final race of Governor's Plate Week 2022 with fellow elimination winner No Plan Intended drawing Post 2 and defending champion Time To Dance being saddled with Post 8. The field also includes Rose Run Quest (Post 3), Island Beach Boy (Post 4), Rotten Ronnie (Post 5), Beachin Lindy (Post 6) and Bugsy Maguire (Post 7). 

Live racing continues Wednesday evening at 6:30 p.m. at Red Shores Summerside featuring the Atlantic Sires Stakes for two-year-old pacing fillies. 

To view results for Tuesday’s card of harness racing, click the following link: Tuesday Results – Summerside Raceway.

(Red Shores)