Blood Money and trainer Jennifer Doyle each delivered a commanding performance on opening day at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park, with the former crushing in the $6,250 Preferred 2 Pace and the latter winning five races on the card on Saturday, April 25.
The Ron Matheson-trained Blood Money ($2.20) was all power in the featured event, controlling every call for driver Gilles Barrieau. The 10-year-old free-legged son of Sweet Lou-Blood Diamond blasted through fractions of :27.1, :55.2 and 1:24.1 before pacing away to a 1:53.3 score by 4-1/2 lengths for owner Dr. Mitchell Downey of Saint John, N.B. Nuttin But Finesse (Mike Downey) closed for second while Shake N Blake (Ken Murphy) completed the triactor. Blood Money is now three-for-four on the year and 36-for-150 lifetime with $514,686 in earnings.
The Jennifer Doyle barn was dominant on the 11-dash program as the Miltonvale Park stable sent out 13 starters and registered five wins.
Moon Bound ($2.70) got the party started in the opener with a front-end score in 2:00.2 for driver David Dowling. Saratoga shipper Fast Louie ($2.10) then won the fourth race for Dowling and Doyle in 1:58.1. Mantario ($2.90) stepped to a parked-out victory in the fifth race in a thrilling photo over Roll Your Coin (Corey MacPherson) with a 1:59 mile for Doyle’s third win, again with Dowling in the seat.
In a sharp conditioned pace in the seventh race, Elm Grove Mistress ($12.60) sprang the upset for driver Murphy and Doyle. The veteran mare wore down stablemate Lady Devine (Dowling) late to stop the timer in 1:55.4. The fifth Doyle victory came as Sweet Molly ($3.50) controlled the ninth race from start to finish in 1:56.3 for Dowling’s fourth win on the day. Doyle picked up where she left off at the end of the winter meet, boosting her totals this year to 12-for-45 for a strike rate of 26.7 per cent.
The Landon Campbell barn doubled on the day as Hunters Hero ($2.70) delivered as expected in the 11th race in 1:57.4 and Doctor Bombay ($4.30) captured the sixth in 2:02.2, both for driver Marc Campbell.
Live racing resumes on Saturday, May 2 at 6 p.m. at Red Shores Charlottetown. Following that card, racing will continue on a Thursday-Saturday schedule through November. A complete schedule is available at Redshores.ca.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click the following link: Saturday Results - Charlottetown Driving Park.
(With files from Red Shores)