The stars are out in full force this weekend with the Joe O’Brien and the Lady Slipper Stakes set to go Saturday at Red Shores Racetrack & Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park.
Post time is 6 p.m. for the 12-dash card with access to the world broadcasts at www.redshores.ca.
The evening opens with the two-year-old fillies in the $7,000 Lady Slipper Stake. Rose Valley, who is sitting on back-to-back wins, has been established as the 5-2 morning line favourite. Kenny Arsenault will handle the driving duties for trainer Michael Campbell. Waterside Scamp gets the nod in the second division of the Lady Slipper from post five. The daughter of N Xample is coming off a two-length score for driver Marc Campbell.
There are two Lady Slipper $11,500 Gold splits with Largomotion, owned by Don Smith of Pownal, and Dont Tell Cindy, from the Earl Watts stable, ready to compete in race seven. Maritime star Top Brand ships in from Nova Scotia for Danny Romo in the other Gold stake. The filly has already banked $43,224 going into the event, but will need to hold off challengers Howmacs Angel and Misssassy Attitude for the win.
The colts line up in the Joe O’Brien Stakes with Accelerated Pace drawing the rail in the $10,200 Gold for driver Mike Stevenson. Stevenson can expect pressure from Forever Paradise and Marc Campbell, who pulled off a big victory in the Maritime Breeders last weekend in Truro. The win pushed Forever Paradise’s earnings to $34,933 for owners Reg MacPherson and David and Aaron MacKenzie of Stratford. MacPherson also has a shot to win the second O’Brien gold in race eight when he sends out Pownal Bay Mustang, co-owned by Ian Smith and trained by Kevin MacLean, from post four.
The card also features the Bell-Aliant Pioneers Pace, Lowther Refrigeration Pace and the Charles MacDonald Memorial. Marc Campbell is booked to drive Carnivore and a win would be a special touch since the race is named in honour of his grandfather.
Customers will have a chance to buy their tickets at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto when $6.1 ,illion of purses go on the line in the Breeders Crown Finals.
The final card of the 2012 season will take place Sunday at Red Shores Summerside featuring the opening leg of the David Rose Memorial, presented by Meridian Farms, and special trackside presentations on every race from the Prince County Horsemen’s Club and their sponsors while the successful Drive for Charity promotion comes to a close.
Post time is 1 p.m. There will a number of prize draws and giveaways on the 14-dash program.
Leg one of the David Rose Memorial will assemble five divisions with $1,500 purse for each race. The action gets underway in race two with heats scheduled in race four, seven, eight and 11.
The afternoon top class gets called to the starter in race 13. Roccos Cavallo has drawn the rail for Mark Bradley. The Tyler Desroches trainee is a top three pick from race analyst Jared Stretch. Stretch reserved his top choice to Life Savior, trained by Duane MacEachern.
“He’s one of the bigger threats in Summerside and he’s a very versatile horse,” said Stretch. “No matter of the race scenario when you see his name on the program you assume he’ll have a say."
The field includes heavy hitters like J J Maywest, who has Summerside’s top trainer Blaine McKenna. McKenna has 14 victories going into the last day over Terry Gallant and Earl Watts with 11. It’s a tight race to the wire. Elm Grove Future, Narragansett, McMaverick and First Lady of Art complete the line-up.
The top driver standings going into the final card of the season has Marc Campbell in the lead with 32 wins. Walter Cheverie is second with 29, but he is driving in the nation’s capital on the weekend, while Brodie MacPhee, who has been on fire lately, sits third with 26.
(With files from Red Shores)