Thursday night racing is back at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park with a new post time for the 2016 season. The first of 11 dashes will get underway at 6:30 p.m. at the capital oval with a newcomer gaining some respect in the featured event.

A compact field of five will line up in the top event with OK Galahad commanding rail control for trainer-driver Jason Hughes and new owners Robi Hughes and Foxyhall Racing. The five-year-old son of Badlands Hanover had been racing at Miami Valley Raceway in Ohio, showing miles in 1:54-1:55 for his previous connections and commands a 1:53 record taken last year at the half-mile oval at Saratoga Raceway in New York.

His Island debut will have him face off with a heavyweight in Post 2 starter Idealic Life with Charlottetown’s leading driver, Corey MacPherson, in the bike for trainer Trevor Hicken and owners Perry, Robin and Luke Burke and Kent Livingston.

Idealic Life strung together seven victories at the end of the winter meet in Charlottetown, but has yet to visit the winner’s circle since racing commenced in April. His last three starts were on-the-board finishes in the preferred ranks.

Race analyst Les MacIsaac gives the nod to Idealic Life to hit the wire first but places OK Galahad as a real threat in second place.

“He’s been kept out of the winner’s circle since the meet opened,” MacIsaac said of Idealic Life, “But he gets some class relief tonight and an ideal post after being stuck on the outside for his past two. Beware.”

Other entries include Rash B Havior (Michael Peters), My Lucky Killean (Ken Murphy) and Oh To Be Me (Gary Chappell).

The top trotters on the East Coast line up in Race 4 on the card for a $1,800 purse.

Wedgewood will look to build on his victory last week in the Open Trot in his Charlottetown debut with Chappell at the lines from Post 7 for owner-trainer Glenn Claybourne. Holy Molie Maggie has post 5 and is the morning line favourite for MacPherson and owner-trainer Jeff Holmes, after being a dominant force in this class in 2015.

Other entries include Kims PJs (Lenny Myers), Phantom Beau (Mark Bradley), Howmacs Pride (Gordie Hennessey), Frill Seeker (Kenny Arsenault), Tyne Valley (Marc Campbell) and Neal (Brian Andrew).

The evening back-up pace is in Race 10 with Cabo Pan Lucas favoured off the rail for driver Vincent Poulton, co-owner and trainer Gary Poulton and co-owner Alan Walker.

His competition in the $1,700 event is pegged as post 6 starter Howmac Missy (Campbell), and Strident Hanover (Chappell) from post 5.

For race programs, top picks or live race broadcast go to www.redshores.ca.

(CDP)