Following a bad racing accident at Truro Raceway last weekend which has sidelined Gilles Barrieau from his driving duties with broken bones in his wrist and fingers, the horseman enjoyed a little racing luck on Saturday as two of his trainees won a pair of $5,000 Atlantic Breeders Crown Consolations at Charlottetown Driving Park
.
Driven by Danny Romo, the Gilles Barrieau-trained A As Glory delivered on her pari-mutuel promise with a 1:59.4 front-end score in the two-year-old filly pace consolation. The Carlspur-Dies Morning Glory filly held off the pocket-pulling April Dawns Star (Mike Steveson) by a quarter of a length while the first over challenger, Putnams Glory (Phil Pinkney), settled for third.
Andrew Ward of Saint John, N.B. owns and bred the winning filly, who returned $3.30 to her backers as the odds-on favourite. The win was her fifth in seven career starts and pushed her bankroll to $12,646.
Favourite Woodmere Ultimate, also conditioned by Barrieau, front-stepped his way to a career-best 1:59.1 triumph in the three-year-old colt pace consolation with Mike Stevenson in the bike. New School (Jason Hughes) advanced first over to place while Tobins Fortune (Danny Romo) followed for third.
The son of Western Success-blue Violet paid $5.60 to win. He is owned by Boyd Macdonald Prodce Ltd. of Crapaud, P.E.I., Daniel Ross of Belfast, P.E.I. and Charles Seymour of Fredericton, N.B. Unraced as a two-year-old, Woodmere Ultimate has recorded three wins and five seconds in 11 starts this year while banking $11,321.
The popular Junebugs Baby and driver Greg Sparling rallied from last to first with a big four-wide move at the three-quarters mark and opened up daylight down the stretch before stopping the clock in a career-best 1:58.3 in the two-year-old colt pace consolation. Pacesetter Perfect Xample (Corey MacPherson) finished seven lengths behind in second and Selkirk Artemus (Ron Matheson) came on for third.
Fraser Turnball of Dominion, N.S. bred, trains and co-owns the son of Western Paradise-Carols June Bug with John Turnbull Jr. of Glace Bay, N.S. The colt paid $4.80 to win for the fourth (consecutive) time in five career starts. His earnings now stand at $7,863.
Acton Noisey, with Todd Trites in the sulky, quickly rest after a break in the stretch from the pocket and came on to score the 2:01.1 triumph in the three-year-old filly pace consolation. She prevailed by three-quarters of a length over pacesetter Elm Grove Future (Mike Stevenson) while first over challenger Just Coastin Along (Darren Crowe) finished one length behind in third.
Acton Noisey paid $15.90 for the 6-1 upset. Favourite Diamond Coast (Kenny Arsenault) jumped it off early taking herself out of the running.
Nick White trains the Harrods-Cora Belle filly for owner Stephen Morton of Windsor, N.S. The win was her third in 13 seasonal starts and eighth liftime. She now boasts $14,059 in 2011 earnings with a total of $35,176 stashed away lifetime.
In regular racing action, 12-1 longshot Dunmore Alpha advanced first up from fourth as the field moved past the three-quarters mark and charged home to nip pacesetter Napanee Seelster (Daniel MacDonald) at the wire in the $1,500 Open Handicap Trot. The eight-year-old Black River gelding halted the teletimer in 2:01.1 to win for the sixth time in 21 starts this year. Katies Victory (Ken Murphy) finished one and a quarter lengths back in third off a pocket trip. Mark Cullen did the driving for trainer-owner Edward Smallwood of Stratford, P.E.I.
The finals of the Atlantic Breeders Crown will be contested Sunday afternoon. First race post time is 1 p.m.
For results from Saturday's harness racing card, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Charlottetown Driving Park.