The annual Paul MacDonald Memorial Driving Challenge is set for Saturday, November 25, with a slate of eight drivers competing at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park.
First race post time is 12:30 P.M. for the 12-dash program. The driving championship is part of Horse Person’s Day sponsored by the P.E.I. Standardbred Horse Owner’s Association. The challenge will pit the top four dash winners against some top percentage drivers to see who will land on top. The top dash-winning drivers category will have Marc Campbell, Jason Hughes, Gilles Barrieau and Adam Merner.
The championship also has the top two percentage drivers with over 75 starts, represented by Corey MacPherson and Kenny Arsenault, while a special part of the annual challenge has the top two percentage drivers with 40 to 75 drives thrown into the mix, represented by Don MacNeill and Earl Smith. The drivers will compete in races 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9 and 10, with the top point earner receiving the MacDonald Memorial trophy, in honour of former dash-winning driver Paul MacDonald, who passed away in 2008.
Campbell is three wins away from making history with 141 wins so far this season, shy of his 144 record-win total at the Charlottetown set in the 2016 season.
The afternoon feature lines up in race 12 for a $2,250 purse sponsored by Larry Chappell Construction. The preferred 2 pacers has Likely To Win as the morning line favourite from post 4 for driver Merner, trainer Melissa Rennie and Nova Scotia owners Blenise Young and Lester Campbell along with Alberta owner Jeffrey Campbell. The seven-year-old son of Western Terror has seven wins this season, including one in 1:56.1.
Silverinyourpocket, a newcomer to Jason Hughes' stable, has post 2 in the event. Hughes will drive the three-year-old son of Badlands Hanover for new owner Robi Hughes of Stratford. The pacer was competing on the Ontario circuit, recently winning in 1:55.1 at Flamboro Downs for trainer Richard Moreau.
Weather Hanover also ships in for the race, entering from Truro and getting post 5 for trainer Jeff Ellis and catch-driver Dale Spence.
Other entries in the afternoon top event include Nogreatmischief, Painted Desert (MacPherson), The Big Bite, Zingers Laugh and Simon Said.