Post position three proved to be lucky Saturday afternoon at Northside Downs for two-year-old pacing fillies Charlottes Coast and Meridian Magic in a pair of $8,240 Atlantic Sires Stakes ‘A’ divisions
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Fan favourite Charlottes Coast and trainer/driver Darren Crowe led her three rivals through panels of :32, 1:04.3 and 1:34.1 en route to a 2:02.4 score in the first division. Scootingforsuccess (Kenny Arsenault) came first-over to finish a length and a quarter behind and J J Solara (Clare MacDonald) was third.
The daughter of Coastocoast Yankee-Charlottes Xena now has four wins and three thirds on her nine-race record with over $25,000 in earnings for owners Dan Belliveau and Justin French of Halifax, N.S.
In the second split, Meridian Magic carved out early fractions of :30.3 and 1:02.2 before Seawind Allegra (Danny Romo) moved within striking distance by three-quarters in 1:32.3. Kicking home in :29.3, the favoured daughter of Largo-Hot Asset shook off her challenger to post a two length triumph in 2:02. Seawind Allegra stayed for second and We B Success (Clare MacDonald) was third.
With the win, Meridian Magic extended her win streak to six for co-owners James Gillis and breeder Barry Martin of Sydney, N.S. The bay filly has earned over $32,000 to date and has yet to finish off the board in nine outings.
There were some rosy results in the two $2,500 ATSS ‘B’ divisions that also took place on Saturday afternoon. Kenny Arsenault sent Woodmere Rose wire-to-wire to take the first division in 2:04.1 by over four lengths. Trainer Barry Folland shares ownership of the Western Success-Blue Violet filly with Roger Wall of Kensington, P.E.I. It was her fourth win in eight outings this year.
Coco Rose, with Jeff Lilley, used the same front-stepping strategy to break her maiden in 2:06.3. The daughter of Largo-Courageous Rose, who is also trained and owned by Lilley and Rebecca Mae Horton of Avonport, N.S., managed to hold off Ammon Darcy (Harold Leblanc, Jr.) for the half-length score.
The front-end continued to hold up in the $1,500 Donald Rankin Memorial, which saw Cruisinart cut the mile in 1:56.3 with Keith Dicks between the wheels. The son of Real Artist-Yieldtotheprincess left from Post 2 and rolled past the first quarter in :28.1, the half in :56.4 and three-quarters in 1:26.1 all the while extending his lead to seven and three-quarter lengths. The six-year-old gelding cruised home to win by four lengths equaling Lexus Bandito's all-age track record while Shifty Shadow (Edgar Jacobs) came on for second. Lonestar Hot Stuff (Ryan Campbell) rounded out the top three.
Ken Rich trains the winner of five races in 14 seasonal starts and $7,815. Cruisinart has won 17 races lifetime earning $81,291 for owner Johnny Heffernan of Reserve Mines, N.S.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click here.