The 2022 Atlantic Sires Stakes season kicked off on Friday evening (June 17) at Truro Raceway, with Therealprincess ruling the three-year-old pacing fillies.
Therealprincess stole the show in the lone $15,020 'A' division with Corey MacPherson driving for trainer Eddy Doucette.
Fresh off her 1:54.3 track record-equalling performance in the Donnie & George Turner Memorial Stakes last Friday (pictured above), 1-9 favourite Therealprincess left alongside Mystical Gal (Dale Spence) and forged to the front on the way to the :28.1 first quarter mark over the 'good' track. She continued to lead past the half in :58.3 with reigning Atlantic Breeders Crown divisional champ Boo Yaya (Redmond Doucet) advancing first-up and Orrsterror (Gilles Barrieau) following her cover until launching three-wide down the backstretch. However, Therealprincess had opened up a pair of lengths past three-quarters in 1:28.2 and left her rivals battling for the minor spoils in the rain as she spun for home and widened her winning margin to five by the wire in 1:56.3. Orrsterror finished second and Mystical Gal was third over Boo Yaya.
A five-time winner from a dozen starts and a top three finisher in the Atlantic Breeders Crown during her rookie campaign, the Source Of Pride-Deviliciously Good filly is now perfect in three sophomore starts -- all against stakes competition. Doucette co-owns the career winner of $52,188 with fellow Kensington, P.E.I. residents Blaine Thibeau, Gordon MacLeod and Grant Mann.
A pair of 'B' divisions, worth $3,000 each, were won by the maiden-breaking Joseph Baxter trainee Kinda Like Royalty (Darren Crowe) in 1:59 and Cutter Loose in 1:59.1 for trainer/driver Marc Campbell.
The three-year-old pacing fillies will meet again for the second leg of the Atlantic Sires Stakes on July 15 at Summerside Raceway.
Alldawaytocardigan extended his own sophomore stakes streak to four, winning the fastest $5,960 division of the Phil Pinkney Memorial Stakes for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings.
Formerly the Nova Scotia Stake Series, the stakes event was renamed this year in honour of respected Maritime horseman Phil Pinkney, who passed away last November.
Alldawaytocardigan led all the way to a 1:55.4 victory for driver Myles Heffernan Sr., trainer Myles Heffernan Jr. and owner Jackie Heffernan of Glace Bay, N.S.
The even-money inside starter pocketed Rollwithhottytoddy (Gilles Barrieau) during a quarter in :27.4 and led through middle splits of :58.2 and 1:27.4 with a first-up Southside Eddy (Darren Crowe) rolling off stride. Alldawaytocardigan remained clear through the stretch, winning by 1-1/4 lengths over Rollwithhottytoddy, with Elm Grove Qwiggly (Marc Campbell) finishing back in third.
Alldaywaytocardigan winning his Phil Pinkney Memorial Stakes division on Friday, June 17 at Truro Raceway.
The Tobago Cays-Undine Hanover gelding now has five career wins from 17 starts and $26,839 in purse earnings.
Going for his second straight stakes win, Fern Hill General led wire-to-wire in the other Pinkney division with Brodie MacPhee in the bike for trainer Earl Smith.
The Malicious-Noble Ellen gelding carved out fractions of :28.1, :59.1 and 1:29 en route to a 1:57.2 triumph as the 6-5 second choice. Even-money favourite Fern Hill Gusto (Marc Campbell) finished 1-1/2 lengths behind off a two-hole trip while Elm Grove Quail (Paul Langille) advanced first-up to show.
Fern Hill General, who now has two wins from six starts this year, boosted his career bankroll to $49,299 for owners Peter Smith of Stratford, P.E.I. and Gerald Morrissey of Charlottetown.
In the weekly $2,500 Winners Over Pace, Charlottetown invader Legendary Ron romped to a four-length score in 1:55.4 over Well Did (Paul Langille) and Risin Horizon (Darren Crowe). Dale Spence sent the seven-year-old A Rocknroll Dance gelding down the road for trainer Nick Oakes and owner Douglas Matheson of Cornwall, P.E.I.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Friday Results - Truro Raceway.