Block Party captured Saturday afternoon's featured $2,200 Preferred Pace at Charlottetown Driving Park to put driver Marc Campbell within two victories of his single season win record at the half-mile oval.
The victory was the fourth on the 13-race card for Campbell, bumping his local win total to 120 for the year. The 2012 O'Brien Award of Horsemanship candidate, who is enjoying a career year on track, set the 122 CDP record for most driving wins in a season in 2011.
In this week's top pacing event, the 28-year-old horseman sent Block Party first over from fourth and wore down pacesetter Capitalism (Jason Hughes) to win in 2:00.1 over the 'good' surface rated two seconds off. The four-year-old mare was followed under the wire by the closing Joseph Michael (Mike Stevenson) while Capitalism settled for third. The winner returned $10.20 to her backers.
Darren Trainor conditions the daughter of Western Terror for owners William Andrew of Calgary, Alta. -- one of the 2012 O'Brien Award Armstrong Breeder of the Year candidates -- Brian Andrew of Milton Station, P.E.I., and Blake Andrew of Montreal, Que. The win was Block Party's seventh in 31 seasonal starts.
This week's top trotting class was won by nine-year-old mare Delta Dental and driver Corey MacPherson in 2:04.3 by a neck over pacesetter Zip The Lip (Brodie MacPhee). Ronnie Gass trains the Dream Vacation miss for Shelley Gass of Cornwall, P.E.I. The victory was her second in four starts since arriving on the East Coast this past summer. She paid $17.10 for the upset win.
There are just four Charlottetown harness racing cards remaining in 2012. Live racing resumes at CDP next Saturday, December 15.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Charlottetown Driving Park.