The opening day of stakes season is now part of history as Red Shores Summerside played host to the Ruby Chappell Memorial Stakes for three-year-old fillies while the three-year-old colts performed in divisions of the Bob Dewar Memorial.
Glory Jean opened up the Chappell Stakes with a 1:59.3 score for Mark Bradley, trainer Tom Weatherbie and owner/breeder Blair Hansen of Charlottetown. Wayne MacRae, Robert Tilley and Lester Mott's multiple stakes champion Howmacscanasta delivered as the post time favourite in her season's debut for trainer/driver Gilles Barrieau, winning her respective $5,650 division in 1:58.2 while Hart Of Windemere was presented with the hardware after her top-place finish, timed in 2:00, for Marc Campbell. The filly is trained by Earl Watts for owner/breeder Windemere Farms of North Wiltshire and John Howatt of Charlottetown. The fourth and final division of the Chappell Memorial went to All About Madi and Walter Cheverie in 2:00.1 for local owners/breeders Leith and Leslie Waite and their co-owner Spencer Waite.
Dusty Lane Arby was a five-length winner in the opening division of the Bob Dewar Memorial for three-year-old colts. The Ron Gass trainee was handled by Corey MacPherson. The Brandons Cowboy colt, bred by Gass, was impressive stopping the timer in 1:57.3, which included a :28.3 closing quarter. Lukes Cowboy reached up in the final strides to win his $5,975 split for trainer/driver Kenny Arsenault. Philip Valley of Vernon River is the breeder and co-owns with Jeffery Ruch and Glenn Bechtel. In other action, Burkes Bandit was placed the 1:58.4 winner in his respective division of the Dewar after the judges ruled an interference call on winner Alberta Sky. The placing triggered a win ticket of $75.40 on the nose and a triactor pay off of $458.10. MacPherson did the driving for trainer Trevor Hicken and owner Perry Burke. The colt was bred by Owen, Donna and Ronnie MacLean. The final match-up in the Dewar Memorial was won by Jackson K Down for Barrieau. Steve Mason trains for the Downey Stables, who are also the breeder of the colt that won 12 of 13 starts in 2015. His seasonal debut was a solid 1:57.4.
Casimir Luciano, being sent off a 2-1 odds, wired the finale in 1:59.1 for Campbell and owner/trainer Ralph Sweet of O’Leary. The horse has seven wins from 10 starts this season.
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Sunday Results - Summerside Raceway.
(With files from Red Shores)