Newcomers Arabica and Juliare captured the Saturday feature races at Charlottetown Driving Park once again to keep their Maritime records perfect
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Five-year-old Pro Bono Best gelding Arabica ($3.40) earned his third straight win since arriving in Charlottetown with a 1:56.4 score in the $2,000 Preferred 2 Handicap Pace in rein to Jason Hughes. The popular Anthony Stymest trainee trailed the six-horse field early on before moving second over and rallying home to wear down pacesetter Outlawpositivcharg and Terry Gallant for the three-quarter length victory. First over attacker Unstoppable Speed and Corey MacPherson finished third. The black pacer is owned by the Hardy Mill Stable of Stratford, P.E.I.
Eight-year-old trotting mare Juliare ($6.30) made it two-for-two in Charlottetoen with a 2:00.4 romp in the $1,800 Open Trot. The Angus Hall miss won by four and a quarter lengths for trainer-driver Marc Campbell and P.E.I. owners Ambrose Laybolt and Michael Bailey of Morell and Mount Stewart's Gerard Baldwin. Favourite Caliban Hanover and Ronnie Gass finished second and the Mike Stevenson-driven B J Eldorado was third.
Also on the card, stakes colt Touch Of Lightning ($25.70) won a three-year-old conditioned event in a career-best 1:58.1 while making his season's debut. The front-stepping pacer held off 2011 Atlantic Breeders Crown champion Astronomical and Marc Campbell. Touch Of Lightning put together a record reading 4-7-1 in 14 starts last year while banking $36,992. The Articulator colt was a Joe O'Brien Memorial Gold winner and finished a second in the Atlantic Breeders Crown and Island Breeders Championship for trainer-drive Allan Earl Smith. He is owned by Islanders Peter Smith of Charlottetown, Donald Smith of Pownal, Gerald Morrissey of Vernon Bridge and Larry Chappell pf Marshfield.
Trainer Roy Wayne Reynolds earned his first training triumph in nearly two decades during the Saturday program with six-year-old I Am A Fool pacer Caughtfoolinaround.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Charlottetown Driving Park.