It was an absolute blowout for Rose Run Quest in Saturday’s $25,000 Governor’s Plate at Summerside Raceway, as the gelding tracked cover before rocketing past foes and drawing clear to win by more than six lengths for trainer/driver Marc Campbell.
Rose Run Quest was in no hurry in the early going as he dropped into an early four-hole position, but the same can’t be said for Do Over Hanover. That speedster sprinted to the top and carved out solid panels of :27, :56.1 and 1:25. The favourite, in the meantime, was sent to the outside on the way to half in his quest to track down the leader.
Campbell was fourth and tracking cover as the field headed into the backstretch, but he quickly made a three-wide move as the pacers tracked toward the three-quarter pole. The third panel flashed up in 1:25 for Do Over Hanover, but all he could do was watch Rose Run Quest take off when Campbell called on him to go into sprint mode. The gelding roared home in :27.4 to win by 6-1/4 lengths over Do Over Hanover in 1:53. Taking home the show dough was Down On My Luck.
Sent off as the 4-5 favourite, Rose Run Quest nabbed his sixth win of the season from just 10 attempts. The seven-year-old son of If I Can Dream-Letmedowneasy is a 37-time winner with purse earnings in excess of $180,000. He is owned by Blair Hansen of Charlottetown, PE.
Prior to the start of the 51st running of the Governor’s Plate, Post 3 starter Burn Out Hanover was involved in an incident that unseated driver Gilles Barrieau and saw the horse loose and scratched from the race. Both horse and driver left the track under their own power.
In the first of two ATSS ‘A’ divisions for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings it was Purple Poet going down the road for a 7-1 upset for trainer/driver Kenny Arsenault in 1:56.4.
The son of Stonebridge Terror-Real Girlie whacked out fractions of :29.2, :59.2 and 1:28.3 before kicking home in :28.1 to stop the teletimer in 1:56.4. The margin of victory was five lengths over Saulsbrook Lassie. Taking home third prize was Red Dirt Boomer.
Kevin Harvey of Hammonds Plains, NS bred and owns the colt who won for the first time this season and for the fifth time in his career. To date, he’s banked over $25,000.
Red Dirt Rocknroll turned a pocket trip into a 1:58.4 victory in the other $12,700 division.
David Dowling mapped out the two-hole ride for the Lenny Myers trainee. Notorious led the group through fractions of :28.4, 1:00.1 and 1:30.4 before being overtaken late by Red Dirt Rocknroll. The gelding uncorked a :27.4 closing panel to win by one-quarter of a length over odds-on favourite Notorious. Rounding out the top three in the six-horse affair was A Grand Terror.
Myers shares ownership on the son of Articulator-Oduya Western with Jack Quinn of Charlottetown, PE. They watched him improved this year’s record to 3-1-1 from seven starts with the win. The five-time winner pushed his overall cash stash to $32,979 in the process.
Dowling claimed his first Basil Whelan Memorial trophy for leading driver of Governor’s Plate week on the Saturday program. Dowling was also the top percentage driver of the week with a sparkling .444 average presented by Xtreme Coatings Ltd and the Prince County Horsemen’s Club.
Sodwana Bay survived a tough, first-over journey to win the $8,500 Governor’s Plate Open Mares Final for trainer/driver Gilles Barrieau in a time of 1:55.
Barrieau got away third with the six-year-old daughter of No Pan Intended-Paradise Cove before wheeling her first over on the way to the half. She battled with Ramblinglily through middle splits of :56.4 and 1:25.3 before using a :29.2 closing quarter to draw away from that foe and the others. The margin of victory was 3-1/2 lengths over Woodmere Chella. West River Ambyr rounded out the Trifecta ticket.
Let go as the 1-9 favourite, Sodwana Bay won for the fifth time this season from eight tries for owners Wayne MacRae of Fall River, NS and Howmac Farms Ltd of North Wiltshire, PE. The 27-time winner now boasts a bankroll that stands at $175,179.
Half Cut also used a come-from-behind approach to capture the $5,000 Governor’s Plate Consolation in 1:54.4 for driver Mark Bradley.
The Tom Weatherbie trainee got away sixth before starting a move to the outside on the way to the half. He brushed to the lead at the three-quarter pole in 1:25.3 and then fired home in :29.1 to win by five lengths over Soccer Hanover, with J J Powerball taking home third prize.
The four-year-old son of Stonebridge Terror-Beckys Filly, who is owned by Kyle Gardiner, Joseph Gardiner, Michael Currie and Jerry MacKinnon, is now 4-for-9 this season. The 19-time winner pushed his lifetime earnings over $87,000 with the triumph.
Veteran trotter Star Photo added his named to the record books at Summerside Raceway thanks to his 1:58.2 tally in the $2,500 Andrew Perry Invitational Trot.
Jason Hughes rolled the 10-year-old son of Classic Photo-T V Star Kosmos through fractions of :29.1, :59.2 and 1:29.2 before using a :29-second closing quarter to win by 7-1/2 lengths over Freddie. Majian Tango took home the show dough.
The 1:58.2 clocking erased Zip The Lip’s former track record of 1:59 for older trotting geldings.
Kevin Gillis trains the gelding for owners Robi Hughes, Blair MacLauchlan, Eric MacLauchlan and James Perrot.
To view results for Saturday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Saturday Results – Summerside Raceway.