The first stakes program of the Island racing season hits Red Shores at Summerside Raceway on Sunday afternoon (May 28), as the Prince County oval plays host to the Bob Dewar and Ruby Chappell Memorial Stakes.
The 14-dash program kicks off at 1:00 p.m. (Atlantic), with four divisions of the Bob Dewar for three-year-old pacing colts in races five, eight, 12 and 14. The first $6,550 Dewar division (race five) features Island Energetic riding an undefeated season for trainer-driver Marc Campbell and owners Paul Gray and Bernadette Burgess of Nova Scotia. The three-year-old son of Articulator has a four-race win streak on the line and draws into a deep field of seven rivals including Pownal Bay Saul (Mark Bradley), Ashes To Ashes (Gilles Barrieau) and Mick Dundee (Don MacNeill).
Jigtime Jones is favoured in the eighth race for co-owner and driver Neldie MacDonald of Nova Scotia, while race 12 has Complete Player looking for his second stakes win of the season for driver Bradley, trainer Tom Weatherbie and owner David Kennedy of Charlottetown. The final Dewar division (race 14) will see last year's Atlantic Breeders Crown champion Tobinator (Corey MacPherson) square off against Maritime Breeders champion Nameisonthehalter (Barrieau).
The $6,550 divisions of the Ruby Chappell stakes for three-year-old pacing fillies will be held in races three, seven, 10 and 13. Atlantic Breeders Crown and Maritime Breeders winner Filly Forty Seven headlines the first division in for trainer-driver Campbell and owners Darryl MacLean of Winsloe, Katelyn Smallwood of Stratford, Cory Carver of Montague and Tanya Tremblett of Nova Scotia.
Campbell is set to go off as the favourite in the second Chappell division (race seven), as he trains and drives last year's Island Breeders champion Elektra Express from post three for owner Danica Ellis of Nova Scotia. Elektra Express will see her main challenge come from Maritime Champion Woodmere Finesse (Bernard McCallum) from post four.
Race 10, the third Ruby Chappell division, and yet again trainer-driver Campbell has the morning-line choice with post one starter Elm Grove Ladyluck, while the final division (race 13) will see Goodmorning Ky (Norris Rogers) face off against Livin The Moment (Jason Hughes) and Kinda Like Her (Kenny Arsenault).
The Sunday afternoon program also features a Preferred pace in race 11 with Machinthesand (Rogers), Forever Paradise (Barrieau) and Pictonian Storm (Gary Chappell) among the starters in the $2,400 event.
(Red Shores Summerside)