Meridian Magic continued last year’s 11-race win streak with a wire-to-wire romp in her 2010 debut in the Ruby Chappell Memorial Stake for three-year-old pacing fillies Saturday afternoon at Summerside Raceway
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With trainer-driver Ken Arsenault in the bike, Meridian Magic left from Post 4 in the first of four $6,800 divisions, carved out fractions of :29.3, 1:00.2 and 1:30.2 and sprinted home in :28.4 for the 4-1/2 length victory in 1:59.1. Elm Grove Exotic (Gary Chappell) finished second off a pocket trip and Elm Grove Ella (Clare MacDonald) was third.
Meridian Magic paid $2.30 to win as the heavy favourite. Breeder Barry Martin and James Gillis of Sydney, NS share ownership of the Largo-Hot Asset filly, who put together a record of 11-1-2 in 14 starts at two earning $76,362. Her biggest victories came in the Maritime Breeders, the Atlantic Breeders Crown and the Lady Slipper Gold Stake.
Also trained and driven by Arsenault, Maritime Breeders and Atlantic Breeders Crown runner-up C H Yocoohno turned in a career-best 2:01.1 winning effort in her split. The daughter of Mantorious-Ms Shania left from Post 2 and directed the field through fractions of :29.3, 1:00.3 and 1:31.4 before kicking home in :29.2 for the 7-1/2 length victory. Howmacs Quicktempo (Mike Stevenson) followed for second and We B Success (Clare MacDonald) rounded out the top three.
C H Yocoohno returned $3.10 to win as 1-2 favourite. Last year, she put together a record of 1-6-2 in 10 starts and earned $33,584 for owners J William Hogg of Charlottetown and John Melanson or Stanley Bridge, PE.
Bettim Laura is now a perfect two-for-two in her sophomore season thanks to a front-end score in her division. The daughter of Largo-Bettim Amanda left from the inside post position and laid down fractions of :29.2, :59.4 and 1:29.2 before kicking home in :29.1 for a career-best score in 1:58.3. Seawind Allegra (Danny Romo) closed well to finish 1-1/4 length behind and favourite Shesa Mint (Mark Bradley) finished third off a two-hole trip.
Driver Jeff Lilley also trains Bettim Laura, who paid $5.30 to win as the 3-2 second choice. As a freshman, she won two of her 15 starts and earned $15,017 for owner Danny Purcell of Newport, NS. Bettim Laura also won an Atlantic Sires Stakes event at Fredericton Raceway on May 20.
Scootingforsuccess worked out a different kind of trip than her fellow winners to take the final stake division in a life’s-best 2:02.2. The Western Success-Scooting Annie filly got away eighth from a Post 6 start and picked up cover form Elm Grove Eureka (Ken Arsenault) before moving three-wide at the three-quarters and scooting home in :29.1 for the win. Western Swinger (Gary Chappell) finished 2-1/2 lengths behind with River J Lou (Mike Stevenson) third.
Scootingforsuccess paid $5.00 to win as the 3-2 second choice while the odds-on R Es Miss Jen (Jason Hughes) made a costly break at the start of the race. Darren Crowe did the driving for trainer Wade Sorrie and owner Walter Simmons of Summerside, PE. Scootingforsuccess won two of her 12 starts and banked $11,060 at two. She finished third to Bettim Laura in her May 20 sophomore debut.
Arsenault, who enjoyed a career year in 2009, drove a total of five winners on Saturday's 12-race card including four of his own trainees.
To view Saturday's results, click here.