As a preface to Sunday’s Atlantic Breeders Crown program, Charlottetown Driving Park hosted a four pack of consolations for two and three-year-old pacers
of each sex worth $5,000 a piece over a rain soaked track rated three seconds off.
Two-year-old fillies took centre stage in the first event and Oceanview Connie was able to keep the spotlight on her from start to finish. Corey MacPherson sent the Full Scholarship-Wendells Sister filly to the front of the field from Post 4 and she carved out fractions of :30.1, 1:00.2 and 1:31.3 before kicking away by a over eight lengths for the 2:02.1 triumph.
Woodmere Rose (Gary Chappell) and Shesa Mint (Mike McGuigan) finished second and third.
William Roloson owns and trains the winner of three races in eight starts and $4,185 in purses.
In the freshman colt consolation Fitelle and Kenny Aresenault left from the three post and rolled to the opening quarter in :30.2 and half in 1:01.1, where he faced a challenge from Moneyhaha (Marc Campbell). The homebred Fit For Life-Boomelle gelding was able to shake off his main rival in the third interval and post a 1:31.4 third quarter in the process. At that point, Fitelle was in the clear and the bettor’s choice then coasted under the wire in 2:02.3.
Full Of Finesse (Bernard McCallum) finished a length behind off a pocket trip and Cloverhills Hugh (Todd Trites) finished third.
The win was Fitelle’s fourth in 11 tries lifting his earnings to $14,730 for trainer and owner Peter Lanigan.
Three-year-old pacing filly N Xample Deal was a gate-to-wire winner in her consolation for teamster Gary Chappell and trainer Hugie Murphy. The daughter of N Xample-Samantha Deal, who was the quickest off the gate from the inside post, made a minor miscue heading to the first quarter but quickly reset and led a gapped out field past intervals of :30.2, 1:00.3 and 1:31 en route to victory in 2:02 by over four lengths.
P H Princess (Todd Trites) journeyed first-over but made a break in the stretch scattering the rest of the field. Papas Little Rose (Kenny Arsenault) was able to get second from second-over while Artistic Putnam (Danny Romo) came on for third.
Owned by Molly Murphy of Borden-Carleton, P.E.I., N Xample Deal has recorded five wins in 17 starts this season earning over $20,000. Her sixth lifetime score bumped her bankroll to $25,589.
Driven by trainer Allan Earl Smith, Kingofthecastle used a flashy final quarter to get the job done in the three-year-old colt consolation. The altered son of Western Success-Bourgeois Baby got away sixth from the inside post position while Roscoes Child (Marc Campell) fired from the two-hole and led the field though opening fractions of :28.3 and :59.1.
Moving from third, Pictonian Leo (Mark Bradley) worked his way to the lead and pulled away from the field by two lengths at three-quarters in 1:30 while Porthill Galaxy (Todd Trites) followed his cover and tucked into the pocket and Kingofthecastle continued to advance from third-over. Using a :29.2 final frame, Kingofthecastle sprinted home to claim all the glory winning in 2:00 by two lengths.
Pictonian Leo and Porthill Galaxy stayed for second and third.
With the win, Kingofthecastle now boasts 10 victories in 18 outings and $23,185 in earnings for co-owners Kyle Gardiner of Cardigan and Joseph Gardiner of Mount Stewart, P.E.I.
To view Saturday’s harness racing results, click here.