A top notch field of eight pacers will contest a wide open Thursday evening feature at Red Shores’ Charlottetown Driving Park.

Starcastic will headline the $2,200 feature, which has been carded as Race 10.

Ron Matheson will drive the four-year-old Allamerican Native chestnut for trainer Jackie Matheson and owners Bobbi Jo Gaudet of Charlottetown and Billy MacKenzie of Stratford. Starcastic will start from Post 3 in the dash. He was a runner-up in his first start of the 2016 east-coast season (he had raced at The Raceway at Western Fair District in Ontario in January).

Eagle Jolt will start from Post 5 with his trainer-driver Marc Campbell, who will be warming up for the Atlantic Regional Driving Championship, which is set to be contested Saturday evening in Charlottetown. The Big Bite is third on the morning line for driver Kenny Arsenault and trainer Thane Arsenault.

Other entries include Cabo Pan Lucas (to be driven by Danny MacDonald), IDK (Vincent Poulton), Daylyn Horizon (Gary Chappell), Jeb (Jason Hughes) and Fightmaster (Mike McGuigan).

Freddie will ride a three-race win streak into the Open Trot (Race 8). Campbell will be in the bike for owner Three Wisemen Stable of Cornwall. The Majestic Son gelding has captured his last three outings in the $1,950 event and will face off with former Open Trot winners Frill Seeker (Arsenault) from Post 6 and Zip The Lip (Brian MacPhee) from Post 5. Also in the field of six is Tyne Valley (Walter Cheverie), Diamond Mine (Willie Murphy) and Thunderaway (Hughes).

A field of a half-dozen trotters will contest the evening’s ‘back-up’ trot (Race 6), which will be contested for a purse of $1,700. Holy Molie Maggie has dropped out of the Open Trot – fresh off a second-place finish in that class – and has drawn the outside Post 6 for driver Corey MacPherson and owner-trainer Jeff Holmes of Orwell. Her biggest threats come from Neal (Brian Andrew) and Phantom Beau (Mark Bradley).

First-race post time for the 11-dash card is 6:30 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)