An action packed card of Thursday night racing will see some of the top pacers and trotters in Maritimes hit the track at Red Shores’ Charlottetown Driving Park.

First-race post time for the 12-dash card is 7 p.m.

Caliban Hanover is favoured in the $1,850 Open Trot (Race 6) from Post 2 for trainer-driver Ron Gass and owner Wendell MacDonald of Cornwall. There has been a different winner in this class every time for the past five weeks and the same field of horses will battle again Thursday. Presto Pegasus (to be driven by Mark Bradley) has Post 1, while Pleasure Girls (Walter Cheverie) has Post 5, and regular Open Trot kingpins Abundaspin (Harold Shepherd) and Zip The Lip (Brian MacPhee) have Post 6 and 7, respectively. Other entries include Diamond Mine (Willie Murphy) and Honeymoonisover (Brian Andrew).

Race 11 is the $2,000 feature pace. Touch Of Lightning will start from the rail for trainer-driver Earl Smith and Island owners Gerald Morrissey, Larry Chappell, and Peter and Don Smith. The five-year-old will face a tough field of seven pacers, including Judge Jon (Mike Stevenson) and Narragansett (Jason Hughes), who come out of the Cecil Ladner series held last week. Other entries include Balanchine (Mike McGuigan), Van Zant (Ron Matheson), Panacotta (Blaine Baglole), Every Day (Andrew) and Windemere Express (Marc Campbell).

Race 9 has Machintosh riding a two-race win streak for owner-trainer-driver Dave Kelly of Cornwall. She will face off with Rymar Sporty (Ken Murphy) and Mach Vegas (Hughes) in the $1,400 contest.

Live racing will continue Saturday with a special card at Red Shores’ Summerside Raceway. The program will feature the Atlantic Regional Driving Competition. First-race post time is 6:30 p.m. Red Shores’ Charlottetown Driving Park will host live racing on Sunday afternoon and will get underway at 1 p.m.

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

(With files from Red Shores)