Newcomer Red Rock inherited the victory in the first $5,000 Governor's Plate elimination following a judges placing in the finale on Sunday afternoon at Red Shores at Summerside Raceway.
D Gs Camme (Gilles Barrieau) crossed the finish line first after fronting the field of seven through fractions of :27.2, :56.1 and 1:25. He held a three and three-quarter length advantage over Red Rock as he stopped the clock in 1:54.2, but judges ruled that he had caused interference to the runner-up during the first eighth of a mile and was set back to second. Red Rock claimed the glory, with his first Canadian mile clocked in 1:55.1 for trainer/driver Jason Hughes. Both pacers will advance to the final along with Modern Xhibit (Marc Campbell) and Narragansett (Marc Bradley), who finished just behind Red Rock.
Fresh off a pair of wins at Yonkers Raceway, Red Rock was the race favourite and paid $3.20 to win. The four-year-old chestnut gelding's new connections are Donald, Bryan and Steven MacRae and Melissa Trainor, all of Vernon Bridge, P.E.I.
The second elimination will take place on Monday evening at Summerside. First race post time in 7 p.m. 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, next Saturday, July 19.
Sunday afternoon's harness racing card also featured $2,250 eliminations for the Lobsterfest Mares Open. Hughes was victorious with Stayoutofmyaffair (1:57) while the other two eliminations were won by Wade Sorrie's Onehotvett (1:59), upsetting at 22-1, and another former Yonkers competitor, For All We Know (1:58.1), for Barrieau and trainer Jackie Matheson.
Earlier on the card, Alan Craig earned his first training win with his own pacer Canvasback Bud scoring a 12-1 upset in 2:01.2 with Mark Bradley driving.
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Sunday Results - Summerside Raceway.