Bless Me Father remained unbeaten in the All Star Cresting Trot Series with a dominant victory in the $7,000 final on Thursday, June 26 at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park as part of a five-win evening on the 14-race card for driver Marc Campbell.
Three-year-old trotter Bless Me Father ($2.10) was an open-length winner in 1:57.2 while setting a new three-year-old trotting gelding track record, erasing the former standard of 1:58.1 set in 2020 by Mabou Ridge. He sat third for driver Marc Campbell in a :29.2 first quarter, pulled out approaching the half in 1:00.3, and took the lead on the backstretch. The gelding kept the gas pedal down to three-quarters in 1:29.1, building a 3-1/2-length cushion, and cruised to a 2-1/2-length victory over Oceanview Nikki (Mike McGuigan) with Supreme Rockette (Gilles Barrieau) third.
Bless Me Father is perfect in three starts this year for owner-trainer Donna Van Meer of Mount Herbert, P.E.I. The sophomore gelding has won six of 10 lifetime outings and has banked $37,602. He missed Southwind Arturo's overall three-year-old trot record by a fifth of a second.
Marc Campbell’s Thursday dominance didn’t stop with Bless Me Father. The driver captured Race 2 with Windemere Classie ($3.50) for trainer Earl Watts in a 1:57.1 clocking and won with the Landon Campbell-trained pair of Galway Girl ($3.50) in 1:56 in Race 9 and Woodmere Kennedie ($7.40) in 1:56.3 in the Race 14 finale.
Campbell also took the 12th race with Steady Heart ($4.20) in the fifth straight win for the three-year-old daughter of Sunfire Blue Chip-Prettyndangerous. Bo Ford trains the 1:55.4 winner and co-owns her with fellow Charlottetown, P.E.I. residents Arnold Myers and Luke Beck, along with Scott Bridges of Summerside, P.E.I. Brokeandoutofgas (Ryan Desroche) finished second by a half-length with Elm Grove Talia (David Dowling) third.
Rosetown Mary ($5) scored in the $4,350 Fillies and Mares Winners Over Pace in Race 13 with a 1:54.4 victory for trainer-driver Corey MacPherson. Pacesetter Sugar Bowl (Barrieau) cut :27.3, :57.1, and 1:26.2 fractions but was collared down the lane by the pocket-tripping Rosetown Mary. Sugar Bowl hung on for second ahead of Elm Grove Mistress (Dowling).
Rosetown Mary, a five-year-old mare, notched her 20th career win in 66 starts and increased her earnings to $102,369. The daughter of Pang Shui-Brodys Leona is two-for-five this year for owners Taylor MacPherson of Cornwall, P.E.I. and Rosetown Stable of Stratford, P.E.I.
Fight Song ($2.70) prevailed in the $4,000 Open Trot. He sat fourth for driver Jason Hughes as New Legacy (Dowling) provided fractions of :28.4, :59.3, and 1:29.2 on the lead. Fight Song shifted out at the top of the lane and stormed to victory in 1:58.4, catching New Legacy by a neck. The latter held off Rocket Blast (Corey MacPherson) for place.
Fight Song, now two-for-17 on the year, is trained by Ashley Gamester for Donald MacRae of Vernon Bridge, P.E.I. The six-year-old son of Kadabra-Fortune Of Fables has won 25 of 110 career starts and has earned $214,411.
In the Hunter River Lions Club Pace, presented in Race 5, Woodmere Honeymoon ($41.60) got up in the final strides for trainer-driver Adam Merner with a final time of 1:56.
Live racing continues Saturday evening at 6 p.m. at Red Shores Charlottetown.
To view Thursday's harness racing results, click here: Thursday Results - Charlottetown Driving Park.
(With files from Red Shores)