For more than 60 years the Gold Cup & Saucer has produced heart-pounding finishes and memorable performances on the red soil of Prince Edward Island.
Even though harness racing is scheduled to resume at the Charlottetown Driving Park -- the home of that storied race -- next month, there’s no guarantee the half-miler’s marquee event will be staged later this summer.
But David MacKenzie, the track’s general manager, and the rest of his team will do everything they can to keep that summer tradition intact.
"We're doing our due diligence to ensure that if it does happen it's going to be under safe measures for the public," said MacKenzie in a recent interview with CBC.ca. "There are a lot of questions about whether off-Island horses are going to be allowed here. There's a whole bunch of moving parts."
For now, MacKenzie will focus on the June 4 opener at the Charlottetown Driving Park -- an opener that will be much different than a traditional opening day card.
"We are really focused on making sure our first phase is very successful and ensures the safety of the horse community and the animals," he said. "We've adopted a number of measures to ensure that horses can continue to train and prepare for the racing season and most of them are ready to rumble I think."
One thing that won’t change is the dynamic duo of hosts Lee Drake and Peter MacPhee. They will be physically separated during the TV broadcast, but they’ll still entertain and educate viewers.
"People are looking forward to something even if it's watching through their computer screen, so we're pleased with that," he said. "Red Shores is a property that thrives on people. Our casino, our food and beverage operations and the racing are based on having lots of people on site and interacting with each other."