Red Shores Racetrack & Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park hosted the Island Breeders Championships over a sloppy track with a two second variant on Saturday (October 29).
It was a double celebration for driver Mark Bradley and trainer Tom Weatherbie after they teamed up to win two championships on the card. Complete Player, a two-year-old colt owned by David Kennedy of Charlottetown, tripped the timer in 2:00.4. Bradley put the son of Brandons Cowboy on the point from the rail to win by a head. They also took home the $11,000 final championship trophy for three-year-old fillies with Glory Jean in 2:02.3 for owner/breeder Blair Hansen, also of Charlottetown.
It was also a big night for Marc Campbell with two horses from his stable earning championship titles. Pappy Go Go, with Campbell in the bike, delivered as the post time favourite in the two-year-old colt final in 2:05 for Grayland Farm of Pugwash, N.S. and breeder William Andrew of Calgary, Alta., while stable star Elektra Express, trained by Campbell and driven by Ryan Ellis, won her assignment in the two-year-old filly final in 2:00.1. Danica Ellis of Brookfield, N.S. is the owner and breeder of the daughter of Western Paradise. The two-time Gold Cup winning driver also drove Rustlemewithenvy, Santanna Sam and Cheyenne Ford to earn a driving grand-slam and give conditioner Jennifer Trainor a training double.
The three-year-old pacing colts, dubbed the glamour boys, hit the stage in race 13 and it was a one-two knockout punch for the Downey Stables of Quispamsis, N.B. when Jackson K Down, driven by Gilles Barrieau, captured the championship final in 1:59.4 with stablemate K D Overdrive, bred by Donald Phillips of Richmond, P.E.I. with Corey MacPherson in the bike, finishing second. The pacing stars are trained by Steve Mason. Beaus Cowboy (Adam Merner) was third.
The Island Breeders finals celebrations began with Mary Leah converting the pocket ride to victory in 2:07.1 for driver/trainer Danny MacDonald in the $5,000 evening opener. The two-year-old trotting filly is owned by Boyd MacDonald Produce Ltd. of Crapaud, P.E.I., Daniel Ross of Belfast, P.E.I., Brian Andrew of Milton Station, P.E.I., and breeder William Andrew of Calgary, Alta. The $7,500 three-year-old trot split was won by Oceanview Pancho in 2:02.2 for MacPherson and trainer Paul Larrabee and his co-owner/breeder William Rolson of Belfast, P.E.I.
In other action, D Gs Camme (Barrieau) captured the $2,550 Preferred Pace that was scratched down to a field of three when Big Surf and Smiley Bayama were pulled from the race due to sickness. The Invitational star, who notched his eighth win of the season in 1:58.4 for trainer Jackie Matheson, is owned by Quinten and Hal Bevan, Ron Matheson and Tom Clark, all of Charlottetown.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Charlottetown Driving Park.
(With files from Red Shores)