Defending Maritime Breeders champions Allbentouttashape and Meridian Magic were standouts once again in winning their 2010 finals for sophomore pacing colts and fillies on an action-packed Saturday card at Charlottetown Driving Park
, which also featured eliminations for the Cecil Ladner Memorial.
In the $24,400 sophomore pacing colt final, the Doug Harkness Memorial, Allbentouttashape turned in his best effort yet winning in a career-best 1:56.1.
Allbentouttashape left from the outside Post 8 and was three-wide going into the first turn for driver Ken Arsenault. The son of Quick Comeback-C A Lady advanced to the lead, clearing just before the first quarter flashed up in :28.1, and carved out the remaining panels of :58.1 and 1:27.1. The even-money favourite rebuffed first over Mr Salming (Gillies Barrieau) en route to the 1-3/4 length victory in 1:56.1. T M Top Gun (Marc Campbell) closed well to finish second while Mr Salming settled for third.
Allbentouttashape paid $4.10 to win for the third time this season in as many starts. The lion’s share of the purse pushed the bay gelding’s earnings to $18,065 this year and $95,022 lifetime. Trained by Sean Dooley, who is apart of the Dooley Boys Racing Stable of Halifax, NS, Allbentouttashape has won 16 of 19 races with three second-place efforts.
Earlier on the card, Arsenault and his pupil, the streaking Meridian Magic, captured the $29,750 Maritime Breeders Final for three-year-old pacing fillies, dubbed the Ken Starratt Memorial.
With Bettim Laura (Jeff Lilley) making a costly break at the :28.1 opening quarter, Meridian Magic inherited the lead and battled with Charlottes Coast (Danny Romo) past middle splits of :59.1 and 1:28.2. The daughter of Largo-Hot Asset won the duel as she kicked home in :30.4 for the 2-1/4 length score in 1:59.1. Charlottes Coast stayed for second with Woodmere Rose (Gary Chappell) finishing back in third.
Meridian Magic paid $3.30 to win. The filly is also a perfect three-for-three in 2010 with $22,774 banked and has won 15 consecutive races for breeder Barry Martin and James Gillis of Sydney, NS. She has put together a record of 15-1-2 in 18 career starts for earnings totaling $99,136.
Eliminations for the Cecil Ladner Memorial for aged pacers went to front-steppers St Star Pete and Outlawpositivcharg, who turned in matching 1:55.3 victories.
In the first elim, St Pete Star and trainer-driver Danny Romo advanced to the lead from third after a :28.1 first quarter and carved out the remaining fractions of :58.1 and 1:26.3 en route to victory in 1:55.3. The first over This Is Your Night (Darren Crowe) finished 2-3/4 behind in second and Pans O Silver (Brodie MacPhee) rounded out the top three.
The popular choice paid $3.80 to win. Paul Gray of Pugwash, NS owns the son of Life Sign-Dragon Temper, who has won half of his six starts in 2010, finishing second or third in the other half. The career winner of 24 races has earned $4,867 of his $288,607 bankroll this year.
Outlawpositivcharg, a runner-up in last year’s Cecil Ladner Memorial, left from Post 7 with trainer-driver Terry Gallant and raced past stations of :28, :58.3 and 1:27.2 before stopping the clock in 1:55.3.
Mighty And Strong (Gilles Barrieau) followed along in second and finished 3-1/2 lengths back while Hilo (Danny Romo) advanced first over to get third.
Outlawpositivcharg paid $3.90 to win as the odds-on favourite. The six-year-old son of Blissfull Hall-Electromagnetic notched his fifth win in eight starts this year and pushed his earnings to $6,442 for owner Fred Lamont of Calgary, AB. A winner of 33 races lifetime, the bay gelding has stashed away $119,978 in purse earnings.
The $5,000 (added) Cecil Ladner Memorial take place next Saturday, June 26.
In regular racing action, the Mitchell Tierney-trained Dusty Lane Shelby, with driver Corey MacPherson, converted from the pocket to take her second straight $1,400 Open Trot in 2:02 by half a length for owner Jaime Lynne Tierney of Cornwall, PE. The eight-year-old daughter of Imperial Angus-Dusty Lane Nipper out-sprinted favourite Dunmore Alpha (Edward Smallwood) for the 5-1 upset.
To view Saturday's results, Tags