Driver Dale Spence had two chances to get horses trained by his girlfriend MacKenzie MacInnis into the winner's circle on Saturday afternoon, and he had more incentive than usual to do so.
Saturday's card of harness racing at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park featured 15 dashes, and one was punctuated by a marriage proposal. After Spence guided MacInnis' Casimir Nunzio to victory in the afternoon's sixth race and the connections gathered in the winner's circle, Spence dropped to one knee and proposed to MacInnis in front of the entire trackside and live streamed audience.
MacInnis said yes.
The featured race on the afternoon boasted a number of competitors from the Preferred ranks battling for a $2,400 purse, with Eagle Jolt bursting through from a nearly impossible spot to pick off his rivals.
Marc Campbell settled Eagle Jolt into third as lead-loving Winter Blast (Jason Hughes) carved out the early fractions of :29.2, 1:00.3 and 1:30.1. Favoured Burn Out Hanover (Corey MacPherson) had pressured the pacesetter through the middle half but could not sustain that bid turning for home. With room to his outside, Campbell angled Eagle Jolt from the rail to second over around the final turn and then deftly guided him into the three path for the stretch drive. Spence was sitting chilly in the pocket with the appropriately-named (given the circumstances earlier on the card) Confident Fella and steered him inside Winter Blast. Eagle Jolt's charge in the stretch was strongest on this day and he hit the wire a quarter-length the best in a time of 2:00. Confident Fella and Winter Blast completed the triactor.
Trained by Campbell for Wilbur & Marie MacDonald of Stratford, P.E.I., 11-year-old iron horse Eagle Jolt (Village Jolt - Jazzy Jam) now boasts 58 career wins and earnings in excess of $429,000.
After a traffic-troubled trip in her last outing, Killean Finale had no anxious moments with a strong gate-to-wire score in the $2,350 Open Mares Pace. Driver Ken Murphy positioned Killean Finale on the point, powered through panels of :29.2, 1:00.3 and 1:31.1 before a :29.3 closer sealed the deal for a 2:00.4 score ahead of Drivingthedragon N (Hughes) and a hard-closing Prettyndangerous (David Dowling).
Cliff Murphy trains Killean Finale (Sportswriter - Pumped) for Dr. Mary McNiven and Pacemaker Stable of Nine Mile Creek, P.E.I. The win was the sixth of the season and 16th lifetime, with the winner's share of the purse lifting lifetime earnings over the $179,000 mark.
For the results from the Saturday afternoon card at Charlottetown Driving Park, click the following link: Saturday Results - Charlottetown Driving Park.