Miracle Matts and Cambest Kisser will knock heads in the Friday night feature at Red Shores’ Charlottetown Driving Park.

First-race post time for the 12-dash card is 6 p.m. The card will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the O’Brien Awards, which are being held in Charlottetown.

The field for the $2,000 Preferred Pace will line up for Race 9. Miracle Matts, who has drawn Post 3, is coming in fresh off a 2:01 victory over a ‘sloppy’ track in last week’s featured event. Corey MacPherson will drive the pacer for owner-trainer Blois MacPhail of Cornwall. Cambest Kisser (Post 6) will be looking to take all the marbles for trainer-driver Jason Hughes and owners Donald and Steven MacRae of Vernon Bridge.

Each race on the card is named in honour of a community with deep connections to Island harness racing – the feature is entitled the ‘Town Of Montague Pace.’ Montague-owned and trained PC Shockwave has drawn the rail for owner Scott MacPhail, trainer Wade Sorrie and driver Brian MacPhee. Other entries include Le Fugueur (to be driven by Marc Campbell), Blue Star Outlaw (Brodie MacPhee), and Nobestbfor (Walter Cheverie).

Race 4 will see the $1,600 Open Trot raced in honour of the community of Tyne Valley. Zip The Lip has drawn Post 2 in the compact field of five for driver Brian MacPhee, co-owner and trainer Donald Sweet and co-owner Orville Willis, both of O’Leary. The six-year-old son of Ken Warkentin has not seen the winner’s circle since December 8, with a string of seconds and thirds since then, but will look to change his luck with his best post in three months. His main competition will come from the Harold Shepherd-trained and driven Abundaspin, who won the event last week and will look for a repeat. Shepherd will be rooting for son Patrick to win the first ever Future Star Award Saturday night at the O’Brien Awards at the Delta Prince Edward and P.E.I. Convention Centre. Other entries in the Open Trot include Wonderous Hanover (Mike McGuigan), Buckling Banbury (MacPherson), and Caliban Hanover (Ron Gass).

Other races on the card will honour the communities of Tignish, Alberton, O’Leary, Summerside, Kensington, Cornwall/North River, Charlottetown, Pinette, and Souris. The final dash of the winter meet will honour the historic rural tracks of Kinkora, St. Peter’s and New Annan. After Friday, racing returns to Charlottetown on Saturday, April 26.

Besides the Friday card of racing and the Saturday night awards gala, the O’Brien Awards weekend will feature the sold-out Island Kitchen Party Friday night at 9 p.m., and a fan forum with some of the best in Canadian racing Saturday morning at 10 a.m. at Red Shores’ Charlottetown.

To view the harness racing entries for Friday at the CDP, click the following link: Friday Entries – Charlottetown Driving Park.

(With files from Red Shores)