Nearly $100,000 in purses were at stake in the half-dozen Atlantic Breeders Crown finals on Sunday afternoon (Oct. 7) at Red Shores Charlottetown. Magical Mistress and Sock It Away capped perfect seasons in their respective events, and drivers Gilles Barrieau, Adam Merner and Marc Campbell each captured two Crown titles.
Campbell, who led all drivers with five wins on the Crown card, also took two of the three sub-featured events on the 13-race program.
A race-by-race recap follows.
Two-Year-Old Trot (Race 2)
Mile Hill Willie ($5.00) ran his win streak to four in the $9,000 Meridian Farms Atlantic Breeders Crown for juvenile trotters.
When favourite Dusty Lane Titan (Marc Campbell) broke in a :30.4 first-quarter duel with Little Miss Winnie (Kenny Arsenault), the complexion of the race changed entirely and the door was opened for Mile Hill Willie to make his move out of mid-division nearing the half. Trainer-driver Gilles Barrieau angled the Armbro Barrister-Pumpkin Doodles colt first-over into a 1:02.3 half, and the pair advanced to engage Little Miss Winnie up the far side before powering clear a quarter from home.
As Mile Hill Willie put away Little Miss Winnie into the final turn, the second-over Windemerebarrister (Walter Cheverie) chased cover to claim second. Mile Hill Willie won handily by four lengths in 2:03.4. Windemerebarrister was a clear second, while Little Miss Winnie barely held third despite late regression.
Paul Morrison owns four-time winner Mile Hill Willie.
Three-Year-Old Trot (Race 4)
In the $9,000 Meridian Farms Atlantic Breeders Crown for three-year-old trotters, Buddy White ($69.10) overcame a slow start and narrowly reached at 33-1 in a thrilling three-horse drive to the winning post.
After lagging from post 8, Buddy White was able to inherit sixth place up the backstretch from a pair of breaking rivals while West River Cindy (Ken MacDonald) and Buckaroo (Marc Campbell) sprinted off through a :29.4 quarter. The second flight caught the top pair on the second turn, and Adam Merner angled Buddy White second-over behind the cover of Windemeredontuworry (David Dowling) to work closer into a 1:00.2 half.
Up the backstretch, Merner ducked Buddy White to the pegs as their cover stalled, and they gained third over the tiring Windemeredontuworry past three-quarters in 1:30.2. The open stretch availed when Buckaroo pulled the pocket midway around the far turn, and the inside path proved the winning one for the son of Armbro Barrister and Highly Organized, just reaching in 2:00.3.
Favourites West River Cindy and Buckaroo finished in a dead heat for second, defeated by just half a head.
Stephen Gass trains five-time winner Buddy White for Blayne White.
Two-Year-Old Filly Pace (Race 6)
Magical Mistress ($2.90) is now a perfect 10-for-10 after parlaying a pocket trip to decisive 1:56.1 victory in the $20,000 Atlantic Breeders Crown for three-year-old pacing fillies.
Driver Adam Merner and trainer Stephen Gass teamed up for their second Crown of the day, this time with the daughter of Camystic and Meridian Magic. Magical Mistress left from post 7 to join Dustylanebukinfuty (Corey MacPherson) and Therealdeal (Walter Cheverie) in a first-turn battle, and subsequently pressed Therealdeal from the outside before easing into a clear pocket. After stalking Therealdeal through splits of :28.1 and :57.1, Magical Mistress angled out at the 1:27.2 three-quarters and responded instantly. She took the lead above the eighth pole and was driven clear off the home turn to win by 4-1/2 lengths.
Magical Mistress rode a clear pocket en route to her 10th seasonal win in as many starts.
Therealdeal was a clear second, while Ma Rebelle (Marc Campbell) overcame mid-race interference and a three-wide journey to narrowly take third.
Breeder Barry Martin owns Magical Mistress, who ran her career bankroll to $54,460.
Two-Year-Old Colt and Gelding Pace (Race 8)
Notorious ($24.60) overcame a near-impossible trip to score an unbelievable upset in the $20,000 Atlantic Breeders Crown for juvenile pacing colts and geldings.
After leaving and being parked out of the three-hole by Bobjohnski (Daniel Romo), Notorious was forced to retreat to fourth behind Woodmere Bolt (Earl Smith), who set early fractions of :29.2 and :59.3. As Dusty Lane Cortez (David Dowling) emerged from fifth to head the outer flow with a circuit to go, Notorious and driver Marc Campbell were shuffled to the back of the main body of the field.
Nearing head-stretch, Campbell angled Notorious off the pegs, and they circled four-wide around the all-out Dusty Lane Cortez and the three-wide Red Dirt Boomer (Gilles Barrieau), who fanned off cover above the eighth pole. Notorious succeeded in outkicking Red Dirt Rocknroll (Adam Merner) — who was pointed to the open stretch — to the line in 2:00.1, while the engulfed Woodmere Bolt held third.
Trainer Darryl MacLean shares ownership of four-time winner Notorious with Gordon MacLean and Shirley Symes.
Three-Year-Old Filly Pace (Race 10)
As she did nine times earlier in the season, Bettim Jackie ($3.60) emerged victorious in the $20,000 Atlantic Breeders Crown for sophomore pacing fillies, angling out from mid-division with a circuit to go to chase and duel down Tobins Terror and win in the final 40 yards of a 1:56.2 mile.
The daughter of Andreoli Hanover and Bettim Laura floated into midfield through a :29 first quarter and was shuffled to fifth as Tobins Terror (Marc Campbell) made a seventh-to-first push clear of Royaltywestho (Walter Cheverie) through the second quarter.
Gilles Barrieau put Bettim Jackie in play nearing a :58.2 half, advancing steadily to put the pressure on a quarter from home. With Tobins Terror all-out turning for home and Royaltywestho hooking three-wide from the pocket, Bettim Jackie was fully extended to earn the win. Royaltywestho took second from Tobins Terror.
Trainer Jeff Lilley owns 14-time winner Bettim Jackie with Blair MacLauchlan and Danny Purcell.
A break before the start from R Es Shabla caused her to miss the fair start pole and be ruled a non-starter.
Three-Year-Old Colt and Gelding Pace (Race 12)
Sock It Away ($2.30) was a pillar-to-post winner in the $20,000 Atlantic Breeders Crown for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings, capping a perfect 15-for-15 sophomore season.
The 22-time winner used pole position to protect the early lead from Weekend Atnannies (Mike McGuigan) and clicked off early sectionals of :28.1 and :56.4 before edging away with three-eighths to go. The Pang Shui-Someone Like You gelding coasted clear at will, finishing a much-the-best winner in 1:54.4 under Marc Campbell. Weekend Atnannies was driven out to hold second over Flash In The Pang (David Dowling), who angled out of traffic at the eighth pole and gained mildly for third.
Sock It Away capped a 15-for-15 season with a start-to-finish victory in the final Atlantic Breeders Crown event of the afternoon.
Kevin MacLean trains Sock It Away, who eclipsed the $100,000 mark in career earnings, for Reginald MacPherson.
In the $2,500 Open Trot (race 3), the Three Wisemen Stables' Freddie ($2.50) ran his career win total to 45 with a dominant 1:59.1 performance. The six-year-old Majestic Son gelding brushed aggressively from third a quarter mile in, gained immediate separation from the field, and coasted to an easy win by 6-1/4 lengths under trainer-driver Marc Campbell.
The $3,500 Fillies and Mares Open Pace (race 9) saw Sodwana Bay ($2.60) and trianer-driver Gilles Barrieau circle three-wide into a contested pace a quarter from home en route to a going-away 1:56.1 win. The win was the 18th in the career of the five-year-old No Pan Intended mare and her 12th of the season.
In the $5,000 Atlantic Breeders Crown Invitational for older pacers (race 11), Rose Run Quest ($5.20) was hard used to clear Machinthesand through a :56.1 and then was kept to task for the entire second circuit to keep a pursuing Euchred at bay by just over a length for a 1:54.3 win. Trainer Marc Campbell was at the lines of the six-year-old If I Can Dream gelding, who earned his 29th career win and his ninth of the year, for Blair Hansen.
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click the following link: Sunday Results – Red Shores Charlottetown.