The 2011 Atlantic Breeders Crown weekend wrapped up on Sunday afternoon at Charlottetown Driving Park with six exciting stakes finals
, which produced two track record equalling miles.
The weekend of champions featured the best two and three-year-olds colts and fillies in the region with consolations held on Saturday. Meadowlands Racetrack's Ken Warkentin joined Lee Drake, Vance Cameron and Peter MacPhee to host the Red Shores broadcast show for the thrilling stakes finals on Sunday, which began with two trotting fillies putting their speed on display.
My Daisy Duke established an insurmountable lead over her foes early on to take the $7,000 Atlantic Breeders Crown Two-Year-Old Trot.
With trainer Ronnie Gass in the bike, the homebred Northern Bailey-My Dusty Lane miss left from Post 4 and sprinted to the first quarter in a blistering :28.4.
After establishing a double-digit lead on her rivals during the opening quarter, she cruised past middle fractions of :58.1 and 1:30.4 while Sweetwater Rukkus (Ralph Annear) battled with Moulded Image (Leonard Myers) back in second with the rest of field making breaks along the way.
No one could catch My Daisy Duke as she sauntered down the stretch to a 2:05.1 triumph. Sweetwater Rukkus narrowed the winner’s margin to four lengths. Majian Dillon (James Ripley) finished third.
My Daisy Duke improved her record to 5-3-1 in her 12th start and lifted her bankroll to $23,664 for owner Jonathan MacDonald of North Wiltshire, P.E.I. She paid $3.70 to win as the bettor's choice.
Next up, Maple Leaf Spirit matched the track record for sophomore trotting fillies with her front end effort in the $7,000 Atlantic Breeders Crown Three-Year-Old Trot.
The parked out Maple Leaf Spirit and trainer-driver Ralph Annear advanced to the top during the :29.1 opening quarter while her main rival, defending Atlantic Breeders Crown champion Waiting On A Woman (Corey MacPherson), jumped it off earlier behind the gate.
The daughter of Meadowagogo-Maple Leaf Legacy led the way to the half in :58.4 and three-quarters in 1:29.3 while Waiting On A Woman reset, caught the field, and came charging first up after the leader.
Waiting On A Woman dropped in behind Maple Leaf Spirit around the final turn and then popped back out down the stretch, however, Maple Leaf Spirit was much the best today, winning in 2:00.3. Waiting On A Woman finished two lengths behind in second while West River Victory (Clare MacDonald) followed in third.
The time of the mile was a new lifetime best for Maple Leaf Spirit and equalled the track record set in 2004 by Final Balance.
Maple Leaf Spirit paid $4.30 to win as the slight favourite. Annear shares ownership of the filly, who has yet to finish worse than second in 24 lifetime starts (10 this year), with Steven Sorrie of Montague, P.E.I. She has banked $32,899 of her career bankroll, which is nearing $70,000, this year.
Astronomical Union converted from the pocket to steal the spotlight and etch his name in the record books in the $24,000 Atlantic Breeders Crown Two-Year-Old Colt Pace.
Touch Of Lightning (Earl Smith) crossed down to the pylons from Post 7 in front of inside starter Astronomical Union and driver Marc Campbell during a :28-second opening quarter.
After the opening quarter, Lyndale Royal (Brodie MacPhee) swept up from sixth to challenge the leader and the top two battled head-to-head past middle fractions of :57.3 and 1:26.4.
Touch Of Lightning finally shook off his challenger as they entered the stretch, but could not hold off the pocket-pulling Astronomical Union, who sprinted home to score the 1:57 triumph by three-quarters of a length. Touch Of Lightning finished second with Lyndale Royal over two lengths behind in third.
Astronomical Union established a new lifetime mark with the win and matched Imps Finesse's track record for two-year-old geldings, originally set in 2007.
Albert Davies trains the gelded son of Astronomical-Signature Seelster for owner Reginald MacPherson of Stratford, P.E.I. He now sports a record reading 3-2-1 in nine starts with earnings totalling $23,977.
Astronomical Union paid $4.20 to win as the odds-on favourite.
Pictonian Amanda was an easy wire-to-wire winner in the matching Atlantic Breeders Crown Two-Year-Old Filly Pace and also took a new mark of 1:57.4.
Mike Stevenson sent the Western Paradise-Southview Sasha miss to the lead from Post 2 and cruised past panels of :28.1, :57.4 and 1:28 en route to the three length victory. Favourite Malabrigo (Marc Campbell) followed in the pocket for second and finishing eight lengths back in third was Cash An Clay (Kenny Arsenault), who came on from the backfield with a three-wide move at the third quarter mark.
Pictonian Amanda paid $6.10 to win as the 2-1 second choice. The Wayne Bell trainee now has four wins, two seconds and two third on her record with close to $30,000 earned for owners Daniel Ross and Bill Bell, both of Belfast, P.E.I.
Stevenson, Bell, and Ross all returned to the winner's circle later on the card thanks to another front-stepping Atlantic Breeders Crown champion named Pictonians Souwest.
The full brother to Pictonians Amanda left from Post 4 in the $24,000 Three-Year-Old Colt Pace and carved out fractions of :28.2, :59 and 1:28.1 en route to a career-best 1:56.2 triumph. Tiger Williams (Earl Smith) finished one and a half lengths behind off a pocket trip while Maritimer (Clare MacDonald) rallied off cover to show.
Pictonians Souwest, an Atlantic Breeders Crown champion at two as well, has won half of his 12 starts this year while banking $34,644. The win was lucky No. 13 in his career and boosted his overall bankroll to $71,143.
He paid $6.10 to win as the 2-1 bettor's choice.
Honey Do Jigtime also delivered on her pari-mutuel promise as she brushed to the top in front of the grandstand and powered home to capture the $24,000 Atlantic Breeders Crown Three-Year-Old Filly Pace.
Moon Landing (Danny Romo) cleared the lead in front of Bemused (Marc Campbell) past the :28.2 opening quarter mark, but was quickly confronted by Honey Do Jigtime and trainer-driver Clare MacDonald.
After getting away sixth from Post 7, Honey Do Jigtime brushed to command, taking over just past the half in :58.2. She built up a two-length cushion en route to three-quarters in 1:27.2 and cruised home for the 1:57.1 triumph. Bemused finished second with Moon Landing five lengths behind in third.
Honey Do Jigtime paid $3.90 to win for the third consecutive time. The daughter of Coastocoast Yankee-Gold Luck is now 12-for-16 and has never missed the board this year for earnings totalling $67,636. Honey Do Jigtime now boasts a record reading 16-6-1 in 23 lifetime starts with nearly $80,000 earned for owners Morah Kerr of Greenfield, N.S., and Phonsie MacEachern of Port Hood, N.S.
Paul Gray's Oakmont and trainer-driver Danny Romo edged out Outlawpositivcharg and Terry Gallant for a 1:55 victory in the $4,500 Invitational Pace, which was featured on the ABC undercard. Joseph Smallwood's J K Special and driver Walter Cheverie won the $2,500 Fillies & Mares Open Pace in 1:57.
For results from Sunday's harness racing card, click on the following link: Sunday Results - Charlottetown Driving Park.