Roca Rei will be looking for redemption Thursday night as the top mares in Atlantic Canada are set to battle at Red Shores’ Charlottetown Driving Park.

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

Newcomer Roca Rei was bet off the board in her east-coast debut last week in the $2,250 Fillies and Mares Open pace for trainer-driver Jason Hughes and owner Robi Hughes of Stratford; but made a break at the start before grinding out a tough first-over journey to fall a length short in 1:58. This week’s edition of the Fillies and Mares open will line up for Race 9 on the card.

There is some tough competition in the six-horse field, as last week’s winner, Brodys Leona (to be driven by Corey MacPherson), has post 2, while top mares General Luckypercy (Ron Matheson) and Dirt Track Momma (Marc Campbell), have Post 4 and 6, respectively. Willow Warrior (Mark Bradley) will make her four-year-old debut off the rail after a three-year-old season that saw her win eight of 16 starts, while Onehotvett (Wade Sorrie) has Post 5.

A field of seven will go to war in Race 11 as IDK is favoured from Post 2 for the sibling trio of driver Vincent Poulton, trainer Gary Poulton and owner Gail MacDonald. The $2,000 event also has Beckenbauer (Hughes), Cabo Pan Lucas (Daniel MacDonald), American Captain (Walter Cheverie), Cheyenne Ford (Kenny Arsenault), My Lucky Killean (Gary Chappell) and Machinthesand (MacPherson).

Perfect Escape is the morning line choice in the Race 10 Blaine MacPherson 60th Birthday Pace. Ron Matheson will do the driving for trainer Jackie Matheson and owners Jack Keenan of Stratford and Joseph Dahl of Ontario.

The card also features two trot classes (Races 1 and 3). Money Show (Brian Andrew) is favoured in the opener, while JK Queen (Cheverie) is the classifier’s choice in Race 3.

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

(Red Shores)