Cheverie Makes Driving Return

Highly-respected and accomplished horseman Walter Cheverie returns to the racebike for his first pari-mutuel drive in nearly nine months as live harness racing returns to Red Shores at the Summerside Raceway for the 2017 season.

Cheverie last drove in a race on Aug. 28 in Summerside before taking a hiatus from the sulky due to health reasons. Cheverie has five drives on the card including the morning line favourite in three of those events.

"It's been a rocky road," Cheverie told Trot Insider. "The last six months have been a little tough but we got through it and we're forging on."

A winner of more than 2,500 races and more than $4 million in purses, Cheverie was recently given the all-clear to return to driving and is looking forward to a return to competition.

"It's a good feeling, it's what I've always liked to do. It's been my quiet time, actually, whenever I jump in the bike and go out on the track I don't worry about finances, I don't worry about women, I don't worry about a thing," Cheverie quipped. "I just concentrate on driving horses. That's always been my way out ever since I started."

Cheverie, 58, will get back into action gradually after qualifying a few at Summerside and Charlottetown this past week.

"I have some horses in to go Monday at Summerside; Summerside has always been a great supporter of me, I grew up in that area, and we'll go from there. I talked to [Red Shores'] Lee Drake this [Friday] morning, he was happy to see me back. There are some nice horses around to drive, hopefully I'll get lucky and get to drive some."

Walter Cheverie guides Ramblinglily to victory at Charlottetown

First race post time is 1:00 P.M. for the 10-dash holiday card with the afternoon feature a wide-open affair. The $2,000 feature event lines up in race 9 with newcomer Mando Fun handicapped with the outside in the five horse field. Mando Fun was claimed for $6,500 on Jan. 21 at Flamboro Downs in Ontario by new co-owner and trainer Paul Biggar of Tyne Valley and co-owner Donald Callbeck of Kensington. He was impressive in his qualifier winning in 1:58.1 at Summerside. The winner of 11 lifetime races has a career best of 1:53.3 taken over Scioto Downs in Ohio and gets the services of Dale Spence in his East Coast debut.

Other entries in the Victoria Day feature include Pictonian Storm from Post 4 dropping from the preferred ranks at Charlottetown and getting the catch-driving talents of Gary Chappell for trainer Wade Sorrie, and Post 3 starter D Bs Rosco with Kenny Arsenault in the bike. Sporty B Skipalong (Norris Rogers) and Machinthesand (Ken Murphy) round out the field.

The back-up pace lines up in Race 3 for a $1,500 purse with Tipsy Mcstaggers making her Island debut from post 2 for driver Rogers, co-owner and trainer Jay Noye and co-owners Mary Jean Noye of Pleasant Valley and Bill and Denise Andrew of Alberta. The five-year-old daughter of Badlands Hanover was racing between Western Fair in Ontario and Northville Downs in Michigan before making the move East. Her new rivals will include Howmac Missy (Marc Campbell) riding a two-race win streak and Lexis Mandy (Chappell).

For Monday's entries, click the following link: Monday Entries - Red Shores Summerside.

(with files from Red Shores)