Sugar Bowl was all business heading to the lead and wired the field in the Kent Oakes Memorial on Thursday evening, June 5 at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park.
Sugar Bowl left well from post four in the Kent Oakes Memorial, a $4,200 Winners Over for distaff pacers, and driver Gilles Barrieau cruised her through fractions of :27.2, :56.1 and 1:26.2 before closing it out in 1:54.1 with a two-length decision over Elm Grove Mistress (David Dowling) and Rosetown Mary (Corey MacPherson).
Jeff Holmes trains the six-year-old daughter of Sweet Lou out of Well Read for owners Tommy Collings and Brian MacPhee of Mount Stewart, P.E.I. Sugar Bowl is now two-for-three this year after putting together a 7-8-5 record from 23 starts last season against Atlantic Canada's top mares. She paid $3 to win as the 1-2 favourite.
The Oakes Memorial was honouring 20 years since the opening of the new racing surface at the Charlottetown Driving Park on June 4, 2005, which Oakes was a large component of in his capacity with the Government of Prince Edward Island.
Fittingly, Oakes’ dear friend Darren Crowe doubled up on the evening as a trainer/driver with his Nova Scotia stable. Crowe and Redland Peaches ($24.30) opened up the night in a new personal best of 1:55.2 then Freaky Fanny ($2.10) romped in race five in a 1:57 score with Crowe above the wheels.
Fight Song ($3.50) won the race 10 $3,400 trot event in 1:58.2 for driver Jason Hughes, trainer Ashley Gamester and owner Donald MacRae of Vernon Bridge, P.E.I.
Earlier on the card, there was a dead heat in a maiden pace in race two as Pownalbay Colleen ($6.40), in line to Brodie MacPhee, and All Over Town ($2.50), with driver Adam Merner, couldn’t be separated at the wire in 1:59.3.
The biggest upset of the evening came in race nine as Miss Maddie P ($78) roared home from fourth to nail down a shocker in 1:57.2 for trainer Todd Walsh and driver Hughes, keying an exactor worth $225.
Racing continues on Saturday at 6 p.m. at Red Shores Charlottetown.
To view Thursday's harness racing results, click the following link: Thursday Results - Charlottetown Driving Park.
(With files from Red Shores)