With two months of racing left in the calendar year, the standings are far from settled at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park with another program set for Thursday evening.
The Thursday card has 11 dashes on tap with a 6 p.m. opening post time and the top trainer and top driver titles are still very much in play with 18 cards left in the season.
The trainer standings are a complete tie as Melissa Rennie has 58 wins from 270 starts at Red Shores Charlottetown in 2023, while Jason Hughes has 58 winners from 287 starters this season. In striking distance in third is Jennifer Doyle, who has won 51 races from 214 starters as a trainer at the capital oval.
Hughes has the lead in the driving standings as he has won 115 races from 560 starts in 2023 in the race bike. Marc Campbell is closing the gap in second as he sits six wins back with 109 races won from 435 starts at Red Shores Charlottetown in 2023 heading into Thursday’s card.
Campbell will catch-drive the 5-2 favourite in the Thursday program's top $2,900 fillies and mares pace in race 10, post three starter Better Be In Love, from the Brendon Mullen barn. Mullen co-owns the daughter of Bettors Delight with Cole MacLaren and Erin McCardle.
Top trainer Rennie will also send out a starter in the field as 3-1 second choice Woodmere Rollily (Adam Merner) will have rail control fresh off a pair of wins in her last two races.
Hughes will drives Elm Grove Mistress from post five for trainer Doyle at 7-2 morning line odds.
Also in the field are Ubettimagoodone (Corey MacPherson), JM Sportsfan (Steven Shepherd), Dollys Sky (Ken Murphy) and Redlandbethany Jean (Brodie MacPhee).
The "Post Time Picks" puts Better Be In Love in the win position: “Have a peek at the line two down where Better Be In Love bossed it from the hop and was a wire-to-wire winner. We’re betting the tactics will be the same tonight so it could be a repeat performance.”
Race four is the Stonepark Intermediate 50th Anniversary Pace. Outrageous Style (Gilles Barrieau) is the top choice in the $2,300 event from the Ron Matheson barn for owner Paul Holmes.
The $3,100 Open Handicap Trot in race nine is headlined by New Legacy (Marc Campbell) from post four for trainer Brent Campbell and owners Matt & David Burke and Don MacNeill Jr.
Play at the track or from home through HPIbet.com. For the Race Day broadcast, race programs and more, go to the new player portal at Redshores.ca.
To view Thursday's harness racing entries, click the following link: Thursday Entries - Charlottetown Driving Park.
(With files from Red Shores)