It was stakes night at Red Shores Racetrack & Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park.
Nova Scotia owners took home the early money winning the first three divisions of the Lady Slipper grassroots. Elm Grove Luck and Clare MacDonald opened the card with a 2:00.4 score for trainer Joseph Baxter and his co-owners Todd and Trish Hardy of Windsor, N.S. Imahawkchick, with Danny Romo in the bike, won her assignment in 2:02. The two-year-old filly is owned by Thomas Hawco of Sydney, N.S. Gold Record romped to a 2:00.4 victory in the third division spotting the field by six lengths for Bernard McCallum and owner Gordon McCabe of Truro, N.S.
Heavy favourite Filly Forty Seven delivered Lady Slipper gold for Marc Campbell. The daughter of Proven Lover won by a length in 1:59.4 for the ownership team of Darryl MacLean of Winsloe, P.E.I, Katelyn Smallwood of Stratford, P.E.I., Corey Carver of Montague, P.E.I., and Tanya Tremblett of Sydney Mines, N.S.
The second Lady Slipper gold for $11,400 went to Woodmere Dreams and driver Gilles Barrieau. The filly stopped the timer in 1:59.3. Ken Wilkie trains for owners Doug and Jamie Hill of Charlottetown.
The two-year-old colts were in the spotlight with the Joe O’Brien Memorial and Mick Dundee, under the command of trainer/owner Donnie MacNeill, wired his grassroots foes in 2:00 flat. Cowboys Dont Cry, driven by Corey MacPherson, took top honors in the second O’Brien grassroots split for P.E.I. owners Reg MacPherson, David and Aaron MacKenzie and trainer Kevin MacLean. MacPherson also took home O’Brien gold aboard Nameisonthehalter in 1:58 for Lawrence Snow of Glace Bay, N.S.
Mighty Cowboy, sent off at 9-2 odds, put away a fast-closing Tobinator to also win O’Brien gold. Darren Crowe was in the bike for owner David MacDonald of Halifax, N.S.
Big Surf won the Saturday overnight feature in 1:54.2 to give MacPherson a driving grand slam. MacPherson sent the 8-5 choice to the point and clocked fractions of :27, :57.1 and 1:26 on the way to victory lane. Clic K (Marc Campbell) was second with Machinthesand (Ken Murphy) third.
The final race was of the card was a dead-heat for the win. Waterside Light (Campbell) and Mozzartplace (Barrieau) hit the line together. That capped off a four-win performance for Barrieau while Campbell earned his second win of the night.
Total wager for the 15-race card was $44,491.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Charlottetown Driving Park.
(With files from Red Shores)