Trotters were featured during Lobster Carnival Week's Tuesday night harness racing card as Summerside Raceway hosted a handful of Atlantic Sires Stakes, during which the driver-trainer combination of Paul and William Lanigan celebrated a pair of wins with owner-breeder James Gorman.
Gorman and the Lanigans picked up their first win in the third $5,260 ATSS division for two-year-old trotters as Northern Dust romped to a 12 length tally in 2:13.2. Dusty Lane Kasper (Ronnie Gass) overtook the pocket-sitting Dunmore Fling (James Ripley) when she made a break in the stretch to place. Northern Dust paid to win $4.60 as the fan favourite. The victory was a maiden-breaking effort for the Northern Bailey-In My Dust miss, who finished third in a division of the Callbeck Stakes in her debut on July 1.
Dusty Red Lane provided Gorman and the Lanigans with back-to-back wins when he went wire-to-wire in the second $7,180 division for three-year-old trotters. The Red Flamethrower-In My Dust gelding won by two and three-quarter lengths in 2:02.3. B J Carmalyta (Clare MacDonald) closed from the backfield to place while pocket-sitter Majian Dillon (James Ripley) settled for third. The popular winner returned $2.80 to his backers. After going winless in 12 starts last season, Dusty Red Lane is now two-for-two during his sophomore year having won a division of the Maple Leaf Trot on the Canada Day card.
Earlier in the evening, Crestwave Morning won his two-year-old trotting division in wire-to-wire fashion, stopping the clock in 2:09 for trainer-driver Marc Campbell. Windemere Norma (Kenny Arsenault) inherited the pocket spot after Im Graceful (Gary Chappell) broke at the half and finished two lengths behind in second while Oceanview Kate (Mike Stevenson) recovered from her own miscue to come on for third, narrowing her early 32 length deficit to four in the process. Crestwave Morning paid $3.90 to win as the odds-on favourite. The Pjs Nabby-Evchuk gelding, who was a runner-up in his debut in the Callbeck Stakes, is owned by breeder George Brookins of Stratford, P.E.I. and Theresa Arscott of Caledon, Ont.
Irish Lullaby posted a 23 length winning margin while making her second start in the other freshman split for trainer-driver Daniel MacDonald in 2:08.3. The Northern Bailey-Lucalena filly, also a Callbeck Stakes runner-up, got away from the field when an early breaker caused interference to others from the two-hole. I Aint No Lady (Garth Cole) and co-favourite Rash Statement (Walter Cheverie) remained on the trot, but couldn't catch the leading lady, who paid $5.20 to win as the co-favourite. She is owned by Boyd Macdonald Prodce Ltd. of Crapaud, P.E.I. and Daniel Ross of Belfast, P.E.I.
Sweetwater Rukkus won the other sophomore division in 2:04 by one length with Clare MacDonald in the sulky for trainer-owner Ralph Annear of Montague, P.E.I. The popular Bo W-Saulsbrook Image gelding sat third at the rail before rallying home to wear down My Daisy Duke (Corey MacPherson) in the stretch. Majian Chester (James Ripley) finished four and a half lengths back in third. Sweetwater Rukkus paid $2.50 to win. The victory followed up a second-place effort in Maple Leaf Trot action and improved his lifetime record to 2-5-4 in 15 career starts.
In Open action, seven-year-old Nikes Image gelding Saulsbrook Balance, driven by Clare MacDonald, swept three-wide down the backstretch to take over command from eventual third place finisher Napanee Seelster (Daniel MacDonald) and then held off the pocket-pulling Caliban Hanover (Ronnie Gass) to win for the 40th time in his career in 2:01.4. The favourite paid $5.40 to win. He is owned by trainer Cynthia MacDonald of Montague, P.E.I., and Tanya MacKinnon of Souris, P.E.I.
To view Tuesday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Tuesday Results - Summerside Raceway.