Off the pace tactics were just what the doctor ordered as Island Energetic began to build a new win streak after defeated a tough group of aged pacers Thursday night at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park.
The Thursday night $2,100 feature event saw an early tussle between Likely To Win (Adam Merner) and Elm Grove Kaboom (Earl Smith) through a :28.1 opening quarter. Elm Grove Kaboom established front end command for additional fractions of :58.3 and 1:27.4 but a second-over trip was converted into a winner’s circle visit by trainer-driver Marc Campbell and Island Energetic with a 1:56.3 victory down the stretch. Elm Grove Kaboom hung on for second with Simon Said (Kenny Arsenault) rounding out the Triactor.
The three-year-old son of Articulator was using the overnight event to fill a gap between stakes competitions for Nova Scotia owners Grayland Farms of Pugwash and Bernadette Burgess of Dartmouth.
Morosita Bi captured the $1,850 Open Trot for trainer-driver Jason Hughes and owner Foxyhall Racing of Wallace, NS. The 1:57.2 victory saw Osprey Impact (Walter Cheverie) finish second and race favourite Freddie (Campbell) coming in third. The 1:57.2 clocking matched the track record for older trotting mares, and interestingly it was a record originally set by runner-up Opsprey Impact last August.
Elm Grove Misty became the first two-year-old pari-mutuel winner of the 2017 Island racing season with an impressive 2:01.1 score for trainer-driver Dave Kelly, who co-owns the daughter of Stonebridge Terror with Charlene Cypher of North Wiltshire.
Live racing continues with special weekend cards on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Red Shores at the Summerside Raceway and on Sunday afternoon at 12:30 p.m. at Red Shores Charlottetown with both cards featuring the continuation of the $100,000 Dash For Cash promotion.
(CDP)
To view results for Thursday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Thursday Results – Charlottetown Driving Park.