The dash title is up for grabs at Red Shores at the Summerside Raceway and drivers Marc Campbell, Jason Hughes and Ken Murphy are sure to make it interesting in the final program of the season at the Prince County oval.
The 13-dash program gets underway at 1 p.m. with Campbell topping the leaderboard with 35 wins this season, followed by Hughes with 34 wins and Murphy with 32 visits to the winner's circle. Campbell has 10 drives on the program including morning line favourite Instant Shadow from post two in race four for a $1,200 purse with Sifroi Melanson training the Summerside Raceway two-year-old track record holder for owners Ultimate Stable and Robert Kyle of New Brunswick. PC Shockwave is selected to be a Campbell winner in race eight for owner/trainer Clair Sweet of O'Leary, P.E.I., fresh off a victory in the same class Thursday in Charlottetown.
Murphy has nine drives Sunday and is selected by classifier Gerard Smith to win two dashes on the day with Da Old Blu Meteor in race two for trainer Clarkie Smith and owner Everett Stewart of Charlottetown, and Baby Picka in race three for co-owner and trainer Fred Paynter of Stanley Bridge, P.E.I., and co-owner Debbie and Neal Ramsay of Summerside.
Hughes will need everything to go right to close the one-race gap and surge past Campbell to win the driving title. The Stratford, P.E.I. resident has nine drives on the card including a winning selection with Rising Fella in race five for trainer Jansen Sweet, who co-owns with Allison Sweet, both of O'Leary, and Susan Thomson of Roseville, P.E.I., and Brody Ellis of Alberta. Hughes is also selected to win with a pair of his own trainees including Cambest Kisser with rail control in race seven for owners Donald and Steven MacRae of Vernon Bridge, P.E.I. and Ok Galahad in race nine for owners Robi Hughes of Stratford, P.E.I., and Foxyhall Racing of Nova Scotia.
The top pace of the day lines up in race 12 as Minor Wisdom has drawn the rail as she looks to continue her dominance against Prince County's best. The Kristina McCourt trainee will have Wade Sorrie back in the bike as the daughter of American Ideal searches to continue her four-race win streak in the $2,000 event.
The 2016 season will close out with the race 13 Isabelle and Ivan Cameron Memorial with gritty pacer All Turain favoured off the rail for driver Corey MacPherson, trainer Trevor Hicken and owner Lee Hicken of Charlottetown.
To view Sunday's harness racing entries, click on the following link: Sunday Entries - Summerside Raceway.
(With files from Red Shores)