The first card 2015 race season at Red Shores Racetrack & Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park gets underway Saturday. The track will feature a new post time of 12:30 p.m. for the remaining five race programs this month before the winter break.
Tempo Seelster has drawn the rail for owner and driver Vince Poulton in the afternoon top class. The pacer, who is making his fourth start since returning from the Ontario market, will lead the post parade in race seven that includes Cheyenne Ford (Kenny Arsenault), Machinthesand (Corey MacPherson), Mach It Big (Marc Campbell) and Astor (Jason Hughes).
Mach It Big is back after being sidelined for most of 2014. The seven-year-old owned by Cornwall's Mikaela Lustic and trained by Jonah Moase, was victorious in 2:01.2 over a sloppy track in Truro on December 28 for Ryan Ellis. This guy was impressive before his break but he meets Astor from the Foxyhall Racing stable of Summerside. Astor is the top pick from race analyst Les MacIsaac. “He’s sitting on back to back wins and gets a better post than he had in those two,” said MacIsaac. “Good shot at a 'threepeat.'”
The trotters will go the gate in race four. I Aint No Lady has been established as the morning line favourite for driver Mike Stevenson, owner Sandra Cole of Kensingston and trainer Garth Cole. The son of Black River had four wins from 27 starts last year and makes his 61st lifetime start from post five. Trotting star Caliban Hanover, owned by Wendell MacDonald of Cornwall, leaves from post seven for trainer and driver Ron Gass. The trotter goes into the 2015 campaign with $90,560 in lifetime earnings. Gass will also send out Pleasure Girls with Corey MacPherson in the bike. Trainer Joe Smallwood has two horses entered in the contest with JK Hustler (Walter Cheverie) and JK Queen (Marc Campbell). Hopedale Dora (Joey Pineau) and Money Show (Brian Andrew) also make up the field.
To view Saturday's harness racing entries, click on the following link: Saturday Entries - Charlottetown Driving Park.
(With files from Red Shores)