Irish Ray was unstoppable as a two-year-old and will look for his 12th straight victory in his three-year-old debut on Tuesday evening, July 11 at Red Shores at the Summerside Raceway as part of Governor’s Plate Week racing.
The nine-dash presentation starts off at 6 p.m. featuring the Atlantic Sires Stakes for three-year-old trotters in a lone $17,920 division in race five.
Marc Campbell trains and drives the undefeated son of Muscle Through It for owner Three Wisemen Stable of Kingston, P.E.I. Irish Ray trounced his foes as a rookie to bank $69,322 in 2022 while going 11-for-11. He will start from post three as the 5-2 morning line favourite in Tuesday's eight-horse sophomore stakes event.
Windemeregotmuscle (to be driven by Jason Hughes) was the runner-up to Irish Ray in the final two starts of last season and has rail control for Tuesday’s race, listed with early odds of 3-1. Dynamical Tad (Ken Murphy) will leave from post five fresh off a third-place finish in 2:00.3 against aged trotters and gets 7-2 morning line odds.
The field also includes Gettin Rocked (Myles Heffernan Sr.), Dusty Lane Tucker (Corey MacPherson), Roseys Boys (Paul Lanigan), A Tad Rich (Kenny Arsenault) and Gettin Salty (Adam Merner).
The two-year-old Atlantic Sires Stakes season also kicks off on the evening with a pair of trotting divisions.
The first split in race two carries a $9,860 purse with Oceanview Daisy the heavy favourite after a 28-length romp in 2:04 in her qualifier. Murphy will drive the Jeff Holmes trainee for owner Hardcore Racing of Belfast, P.E.I. The EL Rocket filly is out of the top-level producing broodmare Summerhill Hallie and gets post three for the Tuesday test.
Osprey Explosion is the second choice off the rail for trainer/driver Arsenault. In a harness racing rarity, her mother, Osprey Impact, is a sister to the morning line favoured Oceanview Daisy.
Also in the field are Getting Lit (Mike McGuigan), WL Roseys Rocket (Lanigan) and Cardigan Cutie (MacPherson).
The "Backstretch Beat" sings the praises of Oceanview Daisy: “Oceanview Daisy looks to be nothing short of a complete force of nature. She pummelled her foes in her qualifier and today could easily be more of the same. We will watch her career with great interest.”
The second $9,860 division in race four has two-year-old EL Rocket colt Rocket Blast leaving from post five for driver MacPherson and owner/trainer Carl Bagnall of Stratford, P.E.I. His foes include Countyline Babe (Heffernan), Dusty Lane Wee (Campbell), Camco Laraido (Murphy), Pay Me My Money (Arsenault) and Getting Tipsy (McGuigan).
To view Tuesday's harness racing entries, click the following link: Tuesday Entries - Summerside Raceway.
(With files from Red Shores)