It’s the first day of summer on Saturday at Red Shores at Charlottetown Driving Park and the city track will feature one of its biggest cards of harness racing this season with the Cecil Ladner Memorial final and consolation along with two divisions of the Maritime Breeders finals for three-year-old fillies and colts.

First-race post time is 6 p.m. (AST). The track’s pre-race show will begin at 5:30 p.m.

Art Of Illusion has been selected as the favourite in the eight-horse Ladner final for driver Darren Crowe. The newcomer, owned by Halifax businessman David MacDonald, was awesome in his Island debut, as he busted off the gate from Post 8 to level the competition in a crushing 1:54.1 performance. That victory ended All Turain’s winning streak at 10. The Trevor Hicken trainee will take him on again from Post 7. Brodie MacPhee will do the driving. Astor was also impressive in his Ladner elimination finishing a strong second in line to Jason Hughes. The son of Camluck posted a :28.4 closer and a 1:54.2 mile in what was his second start after being purchased by the Foxyhall racing stable of Summerside. Hughes and Foxyhall racing will also send out Narragansett from the rail for catch-driver Kenny Arsenault.

The final also has elimination winner Machinthesand starting from Post 2. Established at 7-2 on the morning line, the pacer overcame his outside post to pull off a one-length victory for driver Brodie MacPhee, trainer Mark Bradley and owners Noonan Holdings Ltd., Russell and Karen Noonan of Middleton. MacPhee is committed to All Turain, so Marc Campbell has gotten the call to drive. The line up also includes Schooner (to be driven by Brian MacPhee), Coral Snake (Ryan Ellis) and Perfect Escape (Gilles Barrieau).

The Maritime Breeders finals will also highlight the program. The three-year-old fillies will race in the Ken Starratt memorial for $22,100. Lovineveryminute heads into the event with an impressive resume that includes back to back stakes victories and a track record performance over Truro Raceway. The team is back together with Todd Trites driving for the Earl Watts stable and owners River Valley Management, NB, Windemere Farms, PE and Lana Murphy, NB. Elm Grove Inarush will try to settle the score for driver Mark Bradley. Eddy Doucette trains the filly that banked $46,701 in 2013 for his co-owners Blaine Thibeau, Gordon MacLeod and Grant Mann. Pictonian Sareta has to start from Post 8 for driver Mike Stevenson and owner Daniel Ross, Belfast. The roster also has Briannas Angel (PP3), Outrageous Spirit (PP4), Sail Through (PP5), Fleurje (PP6), JJ Mistress (PP7).

The colts’ final, named in honour of Atlantic Post Calls founder Doug Harkness, will head to the gate for Race 11. Dumas Walker gets the nod for Myles Heffernan after his two-length score in 1:57.3 in the elimination. The Atlantic Breeders Crown champion takes on Settlement Request (Gilles Barrieau) and Rancousy (Darren Crowe) who are also listed as triactor candidates. The other starters in the $18,900 final are J Ps Warrior (Brodie MacPhee), Arties Magic (Todd Trites), Wine to Go (Kenny Arsenault), JJ Laser (Marc Campbell) and Tobins Fusion (Mike Stevenson).

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

(With files from Red Shores)