Lady Slipper Stakes Wrap Up Summerside Season
Five divisions of the Lady Slipper Stakes for three-year-old fillies highlighted the final card of the season at Summerside Raceway on Wednesday night.
Driver Todd Trites scored a driving double in rein to the two Gold division winners, Tobins Paradise and Shadowcross Arose.
In the first $13,000 Gold division, Tobins Paradise powered off the gate from Post 3, but it was Woodmere No Fool (Ken Arsenault) who posted the :29.2 opening panel. Tobins Paradise tipped out shortly after and put up a 1:01 half on the outside with Rhondas Belle (Brian MacPhee) sitting three-wide. The three battled past the third quarter mark in 1:32.1 where Woodmere No Fool re-took the lead, but Tobins Paradise managed to come back on for the win by a quarter-length in 2:02.4. Bodrop (Allan Earl Smith) closed well for third.
The daughter of Western Paradise, who is trained by Sifroi Melanson, scored her 10th lifetime win and ninth of the season, bringing her bankroll to $68,717 for the Ultimate Stable of Dieppe, N.B.
Fresh off a victory in the Atlantic Breeders Crown Final, Shadowcross Arose carved out fractions of :29.4, 1:01.3 and 1:32 en route to victory in the second split in 2:02.2.
Southview Spring (Marc Campbell) finished a length back in second and Island Idol (Terry Gallant) was third.
Charlie O'Brien trains and owns the Harrods filly who has six wins to her name and $37,389 in the bank.
In the first of three $6,100 Grassroots divisions, Southview Magic and driver Marc Campbell cleared the front after the opening quarter and paced right to the winner's circle with a seven and a half-length victory in 2:03.2.
The Matts Scooter miss picked up her fourth seasonal win for trainer Stacey Lund and owner Casey Gavin of Tignish, P.E.I.
Island Impeccable took her division in 2:03.3 by a quarter of a length after a late-stretch kick in rein to Gilles Barrieau.
The daughter of Western Paradise, who is trained and owned by Irwin Claener, notched her fourth seasonal score.
Waterside Cheer used front-end tactics to get the job done in the final Grassroots split. Unraced at two, the grey daughter of Yankee Leader picked up her third win with Hilliard Graves in the bike.
The Paul MacDonald trainee, who won by three-quarters of a length in 2:05.3, is owned by Naomi Graves of Charlottetown, P.E.I. and Zen Graves of Dartmouth, N.S.
To view Wednesday's results, click here.