Two-time Governor’s Plate champion Outlawpositivcharg will be honoured in an official retirement tribute during Lobster Festival Week at Red Shores at Summerside Raceway.
One of the top pacers on the East Coast for the past five years, the 10-year-old gelding last raced in August 2013 and will be back in the spotlight for this year’s Governor’s Plate festivities next Saturday, July 19.
Owned by Fred Lamont of Calgary, Alta. and trained by Terry Gallant for the majority of his East Coast campaign, Outlawpositivcharg retired with 47 wins, 17 seconds and 19 thirds in 155 starts and $168,818 in earnings.
The son of Blissfull Hall and Electromagnetic began his career in Alberta before heading across the country in the summer of 2008 and bursting onto the Atlantic racing scene winning his first six starts, including his first Governor’s Plate. The following year, he became the first horse to earn back-to-back wins in the historic Summerside race.
The popular pacer was also a runner-up the following two years to P H Bestman, who set the 1:53.1 track record, and Serious Damage. He also earned a fourth and third place finish in the consolation races the past two years.
Throughout his time spent with Gallant, Outlawpositivcharg earned a special place in the Summerside horseman’s heart, especially with his first victory in the Governor’s Plate.
“One of my favourite moments was the first night I won the Governor’s Plate with him. That was the last time my mom ever walked,” remembered Gallant, who lost his mother later that year. “She walked across the center field and got her picture taken with me.”
“I’ve seen many of his races,” said Lamont. “I’m most proud of his accomplishments in the Governor’s Plate, winning twice, and being in the Gold Cup and Saucer. There are so many things. Every time he went to the post, he was working on being a winner, that’s the way he was. He is such a beautiful animal.”
Dubbed the “East Coast Warrior” by track announcer Vance Cameron, Outlawpositivcharg won numerous Invitational events across the Maritime provinces and took a mark of 1:54 at Charlottetown as a five-year-old. Among his wins was a 1:55 victory in the 2010 JA Ferguson Memorial Invitational at Northside Downs, setting the all-age track record at the time, which was just broken during the 2013 season. He was also named Horse of the Year for three straight years from 2008 to 2010 at the Prince County Horsemen’s Club Awards Banquet.
Outlawpositivcharg developed a fan following as he prospered on the East Coast right off the truck from Edmonton.
“I had been talking with Terry and he was wondering if I had an Open mare that would do in P.E.I.,” said the longtime Alberta standardbred owner, explaining how the pacer ended up racing on the other side of the country. “I said I did and I will ship her, so I loaded her, and ‘Outlaw’ was in the same barn and I decided to load him on the truck too. I phoned Terry and told him, ‘I hope you have another stall because there is another horse coming.’ When he got down there, Terry got to do his blacksmith work and said this horse will win his first start in 1:57. That was the start of Outlawpositivcharg on P.E.I. He raced so tough. Everybody got attached to him down there it seems. It’s amazing how he got people to fall for him.”
“He went from [being a lower end claiming] horse out in Edmonton and he beat the best in Eastern Canada five years in row,” said Gallant, also crediting Outlawpostivcharg’s success to the care and love provided by Ashley Gamester and his team of caretakers. “He won multiple Free For All races twice and three times down here. He was right within himself, sound and his feet were good. It was some feeling coming around that last turn in :27 seconds with him.”
Following his last start at Charlottetown, Gallant knew it was time to retire the beloved pacer. Lamont’s nephew Gordon, who watched him race every time he stepped onto the track, offered him a home for life at his property in Dunstaffnage, P.E.I.
Next Saturday, Red Shores at Summerside will host a special retirement ceremony for Outlawpositivcharg on Governor’s Plate Night. He will tour the Summerside track one last time before being honoured in the winner’s circle with Lamont flying in for the festivities. Outlawpositivcharg will be available for a meet and greet with fans in the ship in barn. He will then lead the post parade for the consolation race, which Lamont has contributed $1,000 to top up the purse. In addition, there will be an Outlawpostivcharg trivia contest running from Monday through Thursday, with Red Shores drawing three winners, who will get a $100 bet on a Governor’s Plate horse, also courtesy of Lamont.
This year's Governor’s Plate eliminations are set for Sunday afternoon (first race post time is 1 p.m.) and Monday evening (7 p.m. post time) at Summerside. The top four finishers in each elimination will advance to the 46th running of the Governor’s Plate, presented by Summerside Chrysler Dodge, City of Summerside and Journal Pioneer.
To view Summerside's harness racing entries, click on the following links: Sunday Entries / Monday Entries