Old Home Week will officially kick off this Friday evening (August 12) at Red Shores’ Charlottetown Driving Park with a red-hot, 10-dash card helping to set the stage.

First-race post time is 6:30 p.m., and the Dr. Blair Kelly Memorial will be the feature event. It has been carded as Race 9 and features a purse of $2,350.

The memorial race is presented by the Charlottetown Vet Clinic – of which Kelly was a former owner – and the race will have one contender even more eager to hit the winner’s circle with Post 5 starter Starcastic.

The four-year-old son of Allamerican Native was a winner in his latest outing for trainer Jackie Matheson and owners Bobbi Jo Gaudet and Billy MacKenzie. Dr. Kelly was an instrumental owner in helping the Matheson stable get off the ground over 20 years ago, so the sure to be hard fought battle to find the winner’s circle will be left in driver Gilles Barrieau’s hands.

Oh To Be Me is the morning line choice in the race from Post 1 for trainer-driver-owner Gary Chappell of Charlottetown. The Fit For Life gelding has been on fire lately with his last two miles in 1:55 and change.

Post 3 starter Narragansett, who is trained by driver Jason Hughes, is owned by Foxyhall Racing of Nova Scotia and is also highly regarded heading into the race.

Other entries include Iron Phil (to be driven by Louis Philippe Roy), Dbs Rosco (Kenny Arsenault), Spirit Of America (Mark Bradley), Waterside Light (Marc Campbell) and Smiley Bayama (Adam Merner).

The Old Home Week Merchandise Gift Shop Pace hits the track in Race 6 with McMaverick (Keith Campbell) favoured over Beckenbauer (Hughes) and newcomer Willi Ray (Chappell).

Officials are proud to announce free admission to the Old Home Week grounds after 9 p.m. every evening for those 19 years and older.

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

(With files from Red Shores)