Freshmen Star In Charlottetown Stakes
The two-year-old colt and filly pacers in the Lady Slipper and Joe O’Brien stakes headlined a 13-dash race program Saturday at Red Shores at the Charlottetown Driving Park.
Three Pink Bows pulled off a mild upset in an $11,700 gold division of the Lady Slipper, knocking off favourite Dusty Lane Bria in deep stretch to win in 1:59.4, which was a new race record for the filly. Danny Romo did the driving for trainer/breeder Doug Rankin and owners Tanya Tremblett of Sydney Mines, N.S. and Stevi Jardine of Georges River, N.S. Woodmere Dancenart was third.
Jann Down (2:01.2) notched her seventh win of the season and third in a row in the second Lady Slipper gold split for driver Gilles Barrieau, trainer Stephen Mason and the Downey Stables of Quispamsis, N.B.
Other winners in the $7,600 Lady Slipper grassroots were: the Ralph Annear-trained Sweetwater Rayn (2:03) and driver Jack Panting for owner/breeder Linda Austin of Mount Stewart, P.E.I.; and Navajo Moe (2:02.3) with trainer/driver Mark Bradley for P.E.I. owners Calvin Baglole of Bedeque and Shawn Baglole of Victoria West, and breeder James Pound.
All Hail, under the command of Walter Cheverie, found racing room in the stretch to capture a $10,800 gold division of Joe O’Brien for two-year-old colts in 2:01 over fellow Clare MacDonald trainee Gritty Player. Cheverie did the driving for P.E.I. owners Riley Farms of Kensington and Lloyd Hannah of Summerside. The breeders are William and Brian Andrew.
The second O’Brien gold went to Dixieland Band and Marc Campbell in 1:59.4. The colt, bred by William Andrew, recorded his fourth consecutive victory for owners Reg MacPherson and David MacKenzie of Stratford, P.E.I. and Aaron MacKenzie of Winsloe, P.E.I. Kevin MacLean is the trainer.
The $6,800 Joe O’Brien grassroots divisional winners included R Es Reese (2:02.3) for trainer/driver Mike Stevenson, owners Daniel Crouse of Cambridge, Ont. and Amy Crouse of Lower Kingsclear, N.B, and breeder Robert Connelly. Elm Grove Jepson (2:02.1) and Campbell also took top honours for trainer George Rennison and the ownership group of Andrea Rennison and Ryder Mathew Rennison of Truro, N.S. and Cathy Benedict of Valley, NS. The breeder is Robert Gordon.
In other action, DBS Rosco and Stevenson captured the evening’s overnight feature in a dazzling 1:57 flat. The four-year-old son of Santanna Blue Chip laid down fractions of :27.3, :57.3 and 1:27.3 on his way to scoring his sixth victory of the season. The winner is co-owned by trainer Wendell Shaw and Robbie Shaw of Summerside and Kensington's Derek Folland.
Every Day, with Brian Andrew driving, won the Martin MacDougall Memorial in 1:59.
Campbell posted a hat-trick on the card. Stevenson had a driving double.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Charlottetown Driving Park.
(With files from Red Shores)