Truro Raceway hosted the Carl and Marg MacKenzie Memorial Stakes on Sunday afternoon (June 26) with three-year-old filly and colt pacers competing in five $7,327 divisions.
The ultra-consistent Glory Jean converted off a pocket trip to win the first filly division in 2:00 by one and three-quarter lengths over pacesetter Paradise Paradox and first over challenger Every Time. Mark Bradley drove the popular Brandons Cowboy-Seawind Glory filly, who sprinted her final quarter in :28.1 for her third straight stakes victory. She is now six-for-seven on the season for trainer Tom Weatherbie and owner/breeder Blair Hansen of Charlottetown.
All About Madi lived up to her name, starring in the second filly division from start to finish. The favoured Brandons Cowboy-Jk Casablanca miss toured the Truro oval for a 1:59.1 victory in rein to Walter Cheverie. She extended her win streak to five in a row and is now seven-for-12 in her debut season. Leith Waite trains and co-owns All About Madi with Leslie and Spencer Waite of Charlottetown. Pownal Bay Style followed two and a half lengths behind in second and R Es Miss Emily came on for third.
In the first division for the colts and geldings, the front-striding favourite Heart And Soul turned back eventual third-place finisher Preceptor when challenged at the third quarter mark and then held off pocket-puller J J Jodster in the stretch for the three-quarter length victory in 1:57.3. Trained and driven by Clare MacDonald, the Western Paradise-Mighty Sassy gelding now has three (consecutive) wins from four sophomore starts for owners Earith and George Riley of Kensington, P.E.I.
Howmacsblackjack inherited his first victory of the year in the next colt division as the 5-2 second choice while Sugar Crisp was also bumped up from third to second after a judges placing. Abner The Great crossed the wire first, but got rough-gaited and had caused interference to those two horses behind him in the stretch. Howmacsblackjack's winning time was clocked in 1:58 flat. Earl Smith trains and drives the Articulator-Howmacs Dragon colt for P.E.I. owners Peter Smith of Charlottetown, Donald Smith of Pownal, Gerald Morrissey of Vernon River, and Larry Chappell of Marshfield. Fifth-placer finisher Burkes Bandit was also set back to last after causing interference to half of the field while on a break.
Jackson K Down was the fastest winner of the day in the final division as the favourite romped to a three and a quarter length victory in 1:56.4 with Gilles Barrieau in tow. Wishiwasagigolo and Brandons Glory rounded out the top three finish order. Stephen Mason trains the homebred gelded son of Camystic out of Village Jericho for the Downey Stables of Quispamsis, N.B. The victory was Jackson K Down's third from four sophomore starts.
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Sunday Results - Truro Raceway.