Sunday afternoon (October 1) was a good day to have a ticket on Brodys Leona, as she decimated her foes in the final strides to score a huge upset in the Atlantic Aged Pacing Mares final, the highlight of the all-stakes program at Red Shores at the Summerside Raceway.
The $15,417 championship final, sponsored by Standardbred Canada, saw Ramblinglily driven aggressively off the gate from post seven for driver Ken Murphy. Rambinglily laid down a first quarter of :27.3, then attempted to control her destiny with a :58.2 half and three-quarters in 1:28 while Brodys Leona laid fifth on the rail for driver Corey MacPherson. Ramblinglily gave way in the stretch drive, as it was Brodys Leona's day to shine when she got up at the wire to win in 1:57.3 at 31-1 odds.
Race favourite Prettyndangerous (Adam Merner) was second with West River Ambyr (Clare MacDonald) completing the $429.85 triactor ticket. Melissa Rennie trains Brodys Leona for owners Kerry and Emily Taylor of Stratford and Lisa Richards of Cornwall.
While the main event was an upset victory, favourites prevailed in much of the rest of the afternoon's stakes action.
Filly Forty Seven was the heavy favourite in her $11,600 Lady Slipper gold division and controlled the tempo every step of the mile. She won by eight lengths in 1:57.1, giving Summerside’s leading driver Marc Campbell one of four wins on the day. Dubbed the 'King' of Island racing, Campbell also trains the daughter of Proven Lover for owners Darryl MacLean, Katelyn Smallwood, Cory Carver, and Tanya Tremblett.
Traces Of Purple was part of a more reserved victory for driver Gilles Barrieau in the other $11,600 division, as she cleared past a :27.3 opening quarter, then eased the tempo to win in a 1:59.1 mile. The three-year-old daughter of Brandon's Cowboy is co-owned by trainer Robert Phillips and Kevin Harvey.
Ashes To Ashes was a popular winner in a $9,000 Gold division of the Joe O'Brien Memorial stake for three-year-old pacing colts as he won in 1:57 for driver Gilles Barrieau, trainer Jackie Matheson, and owners Linda, Lynn Livingstone, and Alan Conway.
Island Energetic delivered as favourite in another of three $9,000 splits in 1:56.4 for trainer-driver Campbell and owners Grayland Farm and Bernadette Burgess.
Lucbobski scored a mild upset at 3-1 odds in the final $9,000 O'Brien Gold division in 1:56.1 for trainer-driver Danny Romo and owners Robert and Jeff Skinner.
Pappy Go Go continued his trotting dominance of the three-year-old division, as he scored win number nine of his undefeated campaign in a $7,800 division of the Lady Slipper. The time of the mile was 2:00.3 for trainer-driver Campbell and owner Grayland Farm. The other three-year-old trotting Lady Slipper division was won by BJ Lorado in 2:01.1 for driver Brian MacPhee and owner-trainer Bert Honkoop.
In two-year-old Lady Slipper trotting action, Buckaroo delivered as the favourite in 2:01.1 in his $7,300 split for trainer-driver Campbell and owners Larry and Kathy Chappell. Ticked prevailed in the other division with a 2:03.1 victory for the combination of trainer Gerald MacDougall and driver Myles Heffernan, who co-owns with Jackie Heffernan.
To view Sunday’s harness racing results, click the following link: Sunday Results – Summerside Raceway.
(Red Shores)