Eight Straight For Paymenowpaymelater
Paymenowpaymelater added another Lady Slipper to her list of stake victories this season winning her eighth straight in going away fashion for driver Marc Campbell on Thursday at Charlottetown Driving Park.
The undefeated two-year-old daughter of Northern Bailey was hustled out from the seven gate and dropped into the two-hole with an opening quarter in :31.4. Campbell was not content with a pocket ride and pulled out past a half in 1:03.2 before clearing to the lead and opening up by seven lengths laying down the three-quarters in 1:34.2 before picking up her largest victory to date, winning by 14 lengths in 2:07 for owner Wade Peconi and trainer Earl Watts. It was one of two victories on the card for Campbell, who also won with his own trainee Benny Rabbit.
Driver Jason Hughes enjoyed a driving hat trick on the night. He got the ball rolling in race four, a division of the Lady Slipper for three-year-old trotters. Aboard the popular Nick Oakes-trained Seanchai, he used the same tactics as Campbell rushing his charge to the lead past the half, winning by three lengths in 2:02 for the Buntainwood Farm. 'The Blue Knight' also picked up victories aboard Coconut Ladida and his own trainee Cambest Kisser.
In the second stakes division of two-year-old trotters, Windemere Ty and driver Jack Panting started to put together a little streak of their own. The son of Nureyev, owned by his driver and trainer Ralph Annear, picked up his third straight victory in 2:04.3, holding off a hard-closing Suicide Shift.
Southfield Shadow made it back-to-back victories winning her division of the three-year-old Lady Slipper for driver Terry Gallant. The Thane Mann trainee stopped the clock in 2:02.1.
I D K, in line to co-owner Vince Poulton, took the evening's feature overnight race, converting off a perfect two-hole ride to win in 1:58.1 for co-owners Gary Poulton and Gail Macdonald. Judge Jon railed with a :28.3 kicker from sixth to nail the place prize while fraction-setter Capitalism held on for third.
Fresh off career win No. 2,500, Gary Chappell was back in the winner's circle again. He had two winners on the 13-dash card. He picked up his first with his own trainee Pownal Bay Tia in 2:04.1 and followed it up in race 10 aboard Lexis Mandy for trainer Chris Mackay in 1:58.1
Racing returns to Red Shores Charlottetown on Saturday night with a 6 p.m. post time. The card features some of the best Free-For-Allers the Maritimes has to offer, as well the top Open Mares on P.E.I.
To view Thursday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Thursday Results - Charlottetown Driving Park.
(With files from Red Shores)