Truro Raceway played host to its first stakes event of the 2022 harness racing season on Friday evening (June 10) with a track record performance by filly Therealprincess highlighting the Donnie & George Turner Memorial for three-year-old pacers.
Therealprincess was a wire-to-wire winner in the first $7,645 filly division, equalling the 1:54.3 divisional track record with Corey MacPherson driving for trainer Eddy Doucette.
Leaving from the inside post, 1-9 favourite Therealprincess carved out panels of :27.3, :56.1 and 1:25.3 en route to her second straight sophomore stakes victory, with KCs Starlite (Todd Trites) following 3-1/2 lengths behind from the pocket and trailing tier starter Malice Intent (Darren Crowe) finishing third. The daughter of Source Of Pride-Deviliciously Good equalled the three-year-old pacing filly track record set by Woodmere Skyroller in November 2020.
Doucette co-owns the fast filly, who has $44,678 banked in purses, with breeder Blaine Thibeau, Gordon MacLeod and Grant Mann, all of Kensington, P.E.I. After winning five of her 12 starts as a two-year-old, Therealprincess opened her sophomore campaign with a victory in the P.E.I. Colt Stakes on May 29 at Summerside Raceway. She paid $2.20 to win on Friday.
Driven by Marc Campbell and trained by Kevin MacLean, Woodmere Jazz later collared the front-striding favourite, JJ Scarlett, to win the other filly division in a career-best 1:56.2.
A trio of fillies left for the lead, with Woodmere Jazz touching down ahead of JJ Linda (Darren Crowe) early on and a three-wide JJ Scarlett (Redmond Doucet) stung through a :27.4 quarter before landing the top spot. Once in control, JJ Scarlett cruised through middle splits of :58 and 1:27.3 without a challenge until Woodmere Jazz pounced from the pocket late to steal the spotlight, winning by one length. Orrsterror (Gilles Barrieau) finished third over JJ Linda.
Also coming off a victory in the P.E.I. Colt Stakes, Woodmere Jazz is now two-for-three to start her sophomore season and she lifted her career bankroll to $48,121. The Rollwithitharry-Shadow Dancer filly, who went four-for-13 last season, is owned by Reginald MacPherson of Stratford, P.E.I. She returned $6.70 to win as the 2-1 second choice.
Alldawaytocardigan led the colt and gelding winners with his own career-best 1:54.3 mile in the last of three $7,187 divisions for Team Heffernan -- driver Myles Sr., trainer Myles Jr. and owner Jackie Heffernan of Glace Bay, N.S.
Alldawaytocardigan emerged between foes to take command at the quarter pole in :28.2 and opened up three lengths on top through a half in :57.2 with Southside Eddy (Crowe) progressing first-up and dropping into the two-hole past three-quarters in 1:26.2. Southside Eddie chased the winner the rest of the way, finishing 2-1/4 lengths behind, while Elm Grove Quail (Paul Langille) and Elm Grove Qwiggly (Barrieau) finished third and fourth after making brief appearances on the lead early.
After just one win from 13 races as a freshman, Alldawaytocardigan is now perfect in three stakes starts this year, following up victories in the Dawn Bremner Memorial on May 21 at Exhibition Park Raceway and the P.E.I. Colt Stakes. The lion's share of the purse pushed his bankroll to $24,157. Sent postward as the 2-1 second choice, the Tobago Cays-Undine Hanover gelding paid $6 to win.
Corey MacPherson and Kevin MacLean each picked up another Turner stakes win, combining with 2021 Atlantic Breeders Crown champion Stash It Away as he nosed out pacesetter Rollwithhottytoddy in a photo finish in 1:55.1.
With three inside breakers behind the gate, Rollwithhottytoddy (Barrieau) fired to the front from post six and set fractions of :28.1, :57.4 and 1:26.3 while the 4-5 favourite, Stash It Away, avoided the early commotion surrounding him from post three and secured a perfect pocket trip. Stash It Away then closed through the passing lane to defeat Rollwithhottytoddy while Fern Hill Gusto (Campbell) finished 1-1/2 lengths behind in third after launching a final-turn challenge.
Owned by Reginald MacPherson of Stratford, P.E.I., the Pang Shui-Allamerican Napa gelding is now two-for-three this season after going eight-for-12 as a rookie. His lifetime earnings climbed over the $70,000 mark.
The Earl Smith-trained Fern Hill General opened the stakes action with a 1:56.1 victory in rein to Brodie MacPhee.
Fern Hill General worked his way to the top through a :27.4 quarter over the quick-leaving outside starter, Brumby (Adam Merner), and led the way to the half in :58.2 with Woodmere Denver (Barrieau) applying first-over pressure to three-quarters in 1:27.3 and Zendayacougarbeach (Campbell) firing three-wide to pose a late threat. However, Fern Hill General held on to win by three-quarters of a length over Zendayacougarbeach, with Brumby third.
Fern Hill General paid $2.70 to win as the 1-4 bettors' choice. The Malicious-Noble Ellen gelding celebrated his first win of the season following four top three finishes. He started his 11-race debut season with six wins last year and now has a bankroll totalling $46,616 for owners Peter Smith of Stratford, P.E.I., and Gerald Morrissey of Charlottetown, P.E.I.
Kevin MacLean wrapped up a training triple on the mega 14-race card in the weekly $2,500 Winners Over Pace with Sock It Away wearing down favourite Batterup Hanover (Langille) in 1:54.2 while the streaking American Risk (Trites) settled for third in his first loss of the season. MacPherson drove the 37-time career winner, who paid $7.60 as the 5-2 second choice in his return to action. The seven-year-old Pang Shui-Someone Like You gelding was making his first start since posting a pair of January victories in the Preferred class at Charlottetown Driving Park.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Friday Results - Truro Raceway.