Driver Marc Campbell helped kick off Red Shores Racetrack & Casino at Charlottetown Driving Park's 125th season of harness racing on Saturday evening at the legendary P.E.I. half-mile oval.
Red Shores and the I Love Canadian Harness Racing Fan Club celebrated Campbell's O'Brien Award win back in January with the Winsloe, P.E.I. horseman on hand for a meet and greet and autograph session with fans in the front lobby prior to the opening day card.
In an interview before the 10-race program, Campbell recalled his second consecutive record-setting season in Charlottetown in 2012, which included a perfect sophomore campaign for top filly Malabrigo and year-end recognition as Canada’s O’Brien Award of Horsemanship winner.
“Honestly, I thought my heart was going to explode,” said Campbell of his O’Brien Awards experience. “I was waiting for it and waiting for it. I’m really glad it was the first award announced because I don’t know how long I could have sat there. It was a really good feeling. To bring it home to P.E.I. meant a lot to me.”
The 28-year-old horseman also described his goals for 2013.
“My first goal is to get to 1,000 wins and just keep trying to win races," he said. "That’s all I want to do is just keep racing horses, stay healthy and have some fun.”
Campbell moved one win closer to his goal with a 2:02.1 victory over the 'good' surface aboard Paul Biggar's Beechwood Tiger ($7.70) in the eighth race. He now has 963 driving wins on his lifetime record.
Campbell almost had a driving double as he and Kaitlyn Rose opened up a pair of lengths at the three-quarters station in the $1,800 Open Mares Pace, but West Coast invader Too Ideal ($27.60) and trainer-driver Mark Bradley blew by the leading duo into the stretch to win by more than three lengths in 2:00. J K Special and Walter Cheverie came on for second while Kaitlyn Rose settled for third. The five-year-old American Ideal mare is owned by William Andrew of Calgary, Alta.
Andrew also shares ownership of Saturday winners Matt Trapper ($4.20) and War Cry Ranger ($6), who went back-to-back in races four and five, and Every Day ($5.90), who won the finale -- all trained and driven by Brian Andrew. Bradley was also repeat winner on the card scoring with the Neal Moase-trained Deuce Man ($4.20) in the seventh dash.
In the $1,400 Open Handicap Trot, Zip The Lip ($9.60) and driver Brian MacPhee kept eventual third-place finishers Leave Me Go and Gary Chappell at bay as they cruised to victory in 2:03.3, winning by one and a half lengths. Buckling Banbury recovered from an early miscue to come on for second for Corey MacPherson. The five-year-old Ken Warkentin gelding is trained by Don Sweet and owned by Melvin Willis of Cambridge, Ont.
In the featured $1,800 Articulator Pace, Artners In Crime ($6) held on to win in 2:02.1 for driver Ron Matheson and trainer Jackie Matheson as the entire field of four spread across the track at the finish line. The seven-year-old Artiscape gelding is owned by Bobbi Jo Gaudet of Charlottetown.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Charlottetown Driving Park.