Flashy Image pulled off an 8-1 surprise in Saturday afternoon’s $1,400 Open Trot at Charlottetown Driving Park while pacer Outlawpositivcharg captured his first conditioning assignment since returning home from Ontario
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Dunmore Alpha (Edward Smallwood) was the early leader through a :31.2 opening quarter in the top trot, but was confronted by the favourite, Cavalry Officer (Marc Campbell), before the half in 1:02.3. Advancing from sixth, Caliban Hanover met up with the bettor’s choice shortly after and maintained a slight lead past three-quarters in 1:33.1 and into the stretch.
Meanwhile, Flashy Image had moved to the outside from fourth under the guidance of Gary Chappell, and she swept past the dueling leaders to win by a quarter length in 2:05.2 over a track rated “good” and three seconds off. Caliban Hanover wore down Cavalry Office for second.
The winning five-year-old daughter of Nikes Image-Flashy Glenda is trained by Stacey Lund for Wilfred and Calvin Smith of Hunter River and Wayne Court of New Glasgow, P.E.I. Flashy Image notched her first win of 2010 today and sixth overall bumping her bankroll to $5,025.
In the Race 13, a $2,400 pace, Terry Gallant was reunited with Outlawpositivcharg and after leaving from Post 8, the pair went wire-to-wire to score in 2:00.4. Pans O Silver (Brian MacPhee) finished a length behind over the pocket-sitting Yankee Sun (Kenny Arsenault), who broke stride late in the game. Yankee Sun spotted what looked like a white patch on the track and jumped it. Arsenault did a remarkable job keeping him on his feet and they recovered to finish third.
Owner Fred Lamont of Calgary, Alta. sent his superstar, Outlawpositivcharg, to Ontario at the end of the year where he competed at Western Fair Raceway in London. But a recent decision by Lamont has put the six-year-old campaigner back on Island soil. The Blissful Hall-Electromagnetic gelding’s first win of the season was also his 29th lifetime and puts his bankroll at $114,736.
Saturday’s program also featured another 10-horse 1-1/4 mile distance race and favourite Visit The Club and driver Norris Rogers stole the show, winning in front-stepping fashion in 2:40 by nearly five lengths for owner-trainer William Mackay, Jr. Casimir Eye Candy (Marc Campbell) and Bubs Last (Ken Muphy) finished second and third.
To view Saturday's results, click here.
(With files from Harness Racing PEI)