Joe O'Brien, Lady Slipper Set
Weekend action is all set to go at Red Shores, as the Charlottetown Driving Park and Summerside Raceway each feature live programs.
Top Trainers Battle In Red Shores Charlottetown Feature
Starcastic will face off against a hard-hitting Hughes-trained duo in the Saturday evening feature at Red Shores’ Charlottetown Driving Park.
First-race post time is 6 p.m. for the 10-dash card with Starcastic drawing the outside post in a five-horse-field for a $2,250 purse with Gordie Hennessey picking up the catch driving assignment due to regular pilot Gilles Barrieau being in Nova Scotia for stakes action. Starcastic rides a three-race win streak into the Race 9 feature for Charlottetown's leading trainer Jackie Matheson and owners Bobbi Jo Gaudet of Charlottetown and Billy MacKenzie of Stratford. His main competition comes from the barn of the capital oval's No. 2 trainer, Jason Hughes, with the Governor's Plate finalist duo of Ppost 3 starter Jeb with Gary Chappell in the bike and Post 4 starter Ok Galahad with Hughes doing the driving. Rash B Havior has rail control with a two-race win streak on the line and Ken Murphy subbing in for regular pilot Marc Campbell, who is also in Nova Scotia. Post 2 has Nogreatmischief with Walter Cheverie in the bike.
Shadow's Mystery and Ramblinglily will hook up again this week in the race 7 $2,250 Open Mares Pace with a field of six. Shadow's Mystery has Post 5 with Hennessey in the bike while Ramblinglily leaves from the Post 6 for Cheverie. Rail control belongs to Charlottetown newcomer Drivingthedragon N for trainer-driver Hughes and owner Donald MacRae of Vernon Bridge. The seven-year-old Sutter Hanover mare won her last two pari-mutuel outings in 1:53.2 and 1:54.2 at Yonkers Raceway in April for trainer Rene Allard. Other entries include Someone Like You (Chappell), Woodmere Articblue (Ryan Desroche) and Brodys Leona (Ken Murphy).
Stakes Dollars On The Line Sunday In Summerside
The top two-year-old pacers in Atlantic Canada will descend on the Summerside Raceway on Sunday afternoon for the Joe O'Brien and Lady Slipper stakes.
The Prince County oval offers a 14-dash card Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m.
The Joe O'Brien stakes for two-year-old pacing colts will see one very competitive $16,000 Gold division with seven entries in race 13, along with $6,350 Grassroots divisions in races 9 and 11.
The rich single Gold division has Carters Caper favoured from Post 5 with only one blemish in his career of three wins and one second from four lifetime starts. Clare MacDonald trains and drives the colt for Nova Scotia owners Phonsie MacEachern of Port Hood and Morah Kerr of Greenfield. His runner-up effort was in Atlantic Sires Stakes action at Truro Raceway to Tobinator, who draws the rail in this week's match-up for driver Corey MacPherson, trainer Trevor Hicken and owners Kent Livingston of Cornwall, Robin Burke of Ten Mile House, Luke Burke of Pleasant Grove and Perry Burke of Quebec.
The two-year-old pacing fillies compete in the Lady Slipper stakes with two $11,000 Gold splits in Races 4 and 6 with five entrants in each race, along with $4,750 Grassroots action in races 1, 3, 8 and 10.
The first Gold division in race 4 has Woodmere Finesse the morning line choice from post 4 for driver Ken Murphy, trainer Jack Arsenault and owner Edward Maher of Lower Sackville, N.S.
The Doug and Jamie Hill owned Woodmere Dreams is the classifier's choice in race 6 for driver Gilles Barrieau and trainer Kenneth Wilkie.
The top overnight pace on the program has a $1,700 purse with Inspired Art (Marc Campbell) picked over Miss Oromocto (Mark Haig) and Narragansett (Jason Hughes).
(Red Shores)