The first leg of the Steven and Joe MacRae Memorial Pacing Series will headline a baker’s dozen on Saturday afternoon, Dec. 7 at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park.
The 13-dash card has a 12:30 p.m. opening post time with four $3,500 divisions of the MacRae Memorial Series for pacers three years old and up that are non-winners of $6,000 in 2024 (with 12 starts on P.E.I as of Nov. 26).
Sagali is favoured in the first fillies and mares division for trainer Phil Kelly. Mark Bradley will drive the morning line choice from post four in the day's second race against chief rivals Watch Her Go, to be driven by Marc Campbell from post three, and Brookdale Shelley with rail control with freshly announced O’Brien Award of Horsemanship nominee Paul Langille in the bike.
The second fillies and mares division in race four has inside starter Southern Heart (Corey MacPherson) as the top selection for trainer Ron Matheson over Red Dirt Diamond (Brett Clow) and Elm Grove Nanci (Ken Murphy).
The first MacRae Memorial division for pacing horses and geldings features Poplar Artie (Campbell) selected to win from post one over Georges Credit (Bradley) and Midnight MacNeill (Murphy).
West Coast Kid (Bradley) gets top call in the other division for males in race nine for trainer Kelly and will start from post three. His opponents include Dylan Sam (Myles Heffernan Sr.) and Power Of Four (Campbell).
The top pace of the day for fillies and mares hits the track in race 12 with a purse of $3,600. The Jennifer Doyle-trained Shake N Blake (David Dowling) from the outside post five is the top pick. The Post Time Picks states: “Shake N Blake staged a late rally but couldn't reel in Sugar Bowl last week. She has a win and two seconds in her last three starts at this level and looks like she has the fresh legs so I'm putting her on top.”
The top horses to strap on hopples in Eastern Canada will go bridle-to-bridle again in the $4,500 Preferred Pace on Sunday afternoon. The 12-dash Sunday presentation starts off at 12:30 p.m., with the Preferred slated as the 11th race.
Starting from post five, Bee Two Bee (Jason Hughes) will be looking for his third straight triumph in the Preferred for trainer Ashley Gamester while Roll Em is the morning line favourite for driver Marc Campbell and trainer Brent Campbell with post three after a runner-up finish to Bee Two Bee last time out. Post four starter High Voltage Deo (MacPherson) has been knocking at the door every week with a win, a second and a third in this class his last three starts for trainer Brendan Curran. Blood Money (Gilles Barrieau) has rail control from the Ron Matheson barn while Rollwithhottytoddy (Heffernan Sr.) will leave from post two for trainer Trevor Hicken.
The Post Time Picks has selected High Voltage Deo to win the Sunday feature: “High Voltage Deo was first, second and third in his last three appearances and he did close home in a brisk :27.2 on Sunday. Moves in a spot and with the way he can storm home we think he seals the deal this time.”
Race seven on the Sunday afternoon card is the $3,650 back-up class with Tony Too Tall (Heffernan Sr.) the morning line favourite for trainer Hicken. His foes include the return of former Governor’s Plate champion No Plan Intended (Dowling) from post three for trainer Doyle.
To view this weekend's harness racing entries, click the following link: Entries - Charlottetown Driving Park.
(With files from Red Shores)