Saturday's card at Red Shores Racetrack & Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park featured a pair of Maritime Breeders Finals for some of Atlantic Canada's top two- and three-year-old trotters.
Sent off as the 1/4 favourite, Mile Hill Willie was an effortless and comfortable winner in the $7,000 Maritime Breeders Final for two-year-old trotters.
Driver Gilles Barrieau settled the freshman trotter away fifth in the field of eight as Little Miss Winnie (Kenny Arsenault) made the early calls on the lead through a :31.2 quarter and 1:02.2 half. Mile Hill Willie was out and advancing first up through that half-mile split and eventually forged to the front past the 1:33.3 third station. A motionless Barrieau may have chirped at his charge but he certainly didn't lift a line as Mile Hill Willie pulled away to an open-length decision to trip the timer in 2:04.1. Longshot Oceanview Hal (Harold Smallwood) finished second with Little Miss Winnie nosing out Gettin Messi (Corey MacPherson) for show honours.
Mile Hill Willie (Armbro Barrister - Pumpkin Doodles), now with six wins in 10 seasonal starts and a perfect six-for-six since entering the Barrieau barn for owner Paul Morrison of Cardigan, PEI. The lion's share of the purse lifted Mile Hill Willie's bankroll to $23,001.
Buckaroo was the beaten favourite in the 2017 Maritime Breeders Final for two-year-old trotters. One year later he avenged that loss with a hard-fought victory in the $7,850 Maritime Breeders Final for three-year-old trotters.
Driver Marc Campbell sent 9-5 choice Buckaroo for the front and found it, clearing to the top ahead of 6-5 West River Cindy (Ken MacDonald). The field of six was strung out through the :29.3 opening panel with less separation but the front pair still the same through the :59.2 half and 1:30.1 third station. Around the final turn, MacDonald right-lined West River Cindy for a Charlottetown slugfest in the stretch but Buckaroo wouldn't be denied this time around and stayed strong to win in 2:02.2. West River Cindy stayed for second with Daisy River (Paul Lanigan) completing the best company in third.
After posting six wins in 13 starts as a rookie, Buckaroo (Tad The Stud - Buckling Banbury) now sports six wins in 13 starts as a sophomore with the win pushing his lifetime bankroll over the $50,000 mark for trainer Campbell and owners Larry & Kathy Chappell of Marshfield, PEI.
The Saturday undercard featured a pair of top class tilts with a $2,500 Preferred 2 Pace and a $2,350 Fillies & Mares Open.
As expected, Czar Seelster had no issues with his foes in the Preferred 2 Pace. Driver Mike McGuigan had Czar Seelster overland and challenging pacesetter Winter Blast (Jason Hughes) through the half, cleared by the third quarter and held off rival Three Truths (Arsenault) to win by nearly three lengths in 1:57.1.
Greg Weatherbee trains nine-year-old Czar Seelster (Stonebridge Regal - Cmon Mama Cass) for owner Tammy Johnston of Stratford, PEI. With seven wins on the season, Czar Seelster now sports 31 in his career along with $206,754 in purses.
Climbing the class ladder is four-year-old Woodmere Finesse, who showed her ten-length romp over conditioned mares last time out was no fluke by returning to Charlottetown and defeating the division's best in the $2,350 Fillies & Mares Open.
Driver Gilles Barrieau allowed the field to settle before moving Woodmere Finesse to the front at the half. The pair then repelled all rivals to trip the timer in 1:56.4, a length and a half ahead of Prettyndangerous (David Dowling).
Jeff Lilley handles the training duties on Woodmere Finesse (Articulator - Woodmere Teardrop) for owner Edward Maher of Lower Sackville, N.S. After six wins over the previous two seasons, the pacing mare has seemed to find her best stride as an older performer with 10 wins on the campaign.
For the charts from Charlottetown's Saturday card, click the following link: Saturday Results - Charlottetown Driving Park.