Red Shores Summerside hosted a stakes-filled day of harness racing with multiple divisions of the Bob Dewar Memorial for three-year-old colts while the Ruby Chappell Memorial showcased three-year-old fillies
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The top performance of the day was put forth by Mr Thompson, a three-year-old colt owned by Boyd MacDonald Produce Ltd. and Daniel R Ross Ltd., who scorched the Prince County oval in a blistering 1:56.2 to win one of four $6,700 divisions of the Bob Dewar Memorial Stake for driver Mike Stevenson. The Wade Sorrie trainee won by four and half lengths in a new mark over First Art Down and Howmacs Rocket while the favoured Atlantic Breeders Crown champion Astronomical Union pulled up after breaking stride with broken equipment early on.
Three starts into his sophomore year, Mr Thompson has put together a career record reading 4-3-3 in 13 outings with $36,310 earned in purses. His biggest win to date came in the 2011 Maritime Breeders Futurity Final.
Touch Of Lightning, owned by Peter and Don Smith, Larry Chappell and Gerald Morrissey, held off Putnams Storm, a winner in the first round of Atlantic Sires Stakes this year, for a 1:58.2 score with trainer Earl Smith in the sulky.
Lyndale Royal, with Brodie MacPhee romped to a six and three-quarter length tally and Riccaras Star, driven by Clare MacDonald, nosed out Kingdom Come in the other colt divisions on the day in matching times of 1:58.2.
The winners of the $5,000 Ruby Chappell Memorial divisions included Malabrigo, the 2011 Maritime Breeders Filly Futurity champion, and trainer-driver Marc Campbell with a three length 2:00.2 victory for owner Buntainwood Farm. She is now two-for-two this year after winning an ATSS event in her season's debut.
Pownal Bay Lassie overcame early interference and a 11 length deficit at the three-quarters mark to reach up in the final strides to win her respective division by a neck for Earl Smith in 2:00.4.
Southfield Sophie, with trainer Terry Gallant in the bike, won her division by over four lengths in a career-best 1:59.1 for the Southfield Farm Inc. of Summerside.
Sweetwater Teaha kept her sophomore record perfect in two starts as she went all the way to win in 2:00 flat with Brian MacPhee aboard while J J Bria rallied off cover for a 2:00.1 maiden-breaking victory for trainer-driver Gilles Barrieau.
Larshecomes converted from the pocket to break her maiden in 2:00, winning by a neck over Isleofpalms for trainer-driver Clare MacDonald, and the Mike Stevenson-driven J J Maywest, last year's Island Breeders Championship winner, also took top honours in the filly divisions with a 2:00.3 front end effort.
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Sunday Results - Summerside Raceway.
(With files from Summerside Raceway)