The top three finishers in this year’s Maritime Breeders final for three-year-old pacing fillies proved to be dominate in Atlantic Sires Stakes action, each capturing their respective $8,940 'A' division on Friday evening at Red Shores at Summerside Raceway
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Using the inside post position to her advantage, Maritime Breeders champion Honey Do Jigtime fired to the command in the first split and cruised past panels of :30, 1:01 and 1:31.3 en route to a 2:03 score with trainer Clare MacDonald in the bike. Force Of Fire closed well for second but was place back to sixth after causing interference while making a break in the first turn. Pocket-sitter Acton Noisey (Darren Crowe) recovered from her later miscue in the pocket and was third placed second while Galamoe (Mike Stevenson) inherited third.
Honey Do Jigtime paid $2.10 to win as the heavy favourite. The daughter of Coastocoast Yankee-Gold Luck was purchased for $3,000 from the Nova Scotia Provincial Exhibition Sale by Morah Kerr of Greenfield and Phonsie MacEachern of Port Hood, N.S. and has since won nine times with five second-place efforts in 17 career starts to bank $48,559. She has won five of her seven races this year, finishing second in the other two starts.
In the next division, driver Danny Romo sent Moon Landing, the Maritime Breeders runner-up, to the top from post position six and cleared past the :28.3 opening quarter. The daughter of Quick Comeback-Igiantstpfrpankind proceeded to the half in :58.4 and three-quarters in 1:28.3 before facing her first serious challenger. Favourite Bemused (Marc Campbell) pulled the pocket and launched her attack, but Moon Landing held on for the half-length victory in 1:59.2. Just Coastin Along (Darren Crowe) recovered from an early miscue and rallied home for third, finishing two lengths behind.
Moon Landing paid $7.40 to win. Patrick Eastwood owns and trains the winning filly, who has stashed away $44,489 in career earnings thanks to eight wins, six seconds and one third place effort in 18 starts. Five of those wins and two seconds were earned this season.
Forthena, third in the Maritime Breeders, sent trainer-driver Clare MacDonald back to the winner’s circle after scoring in the final split. Believeitanyway (Jason Hughes) carved out early fractions of :30.1 and 1:00 before coming under attack by co-favourite K D Go Onn (Gilles Barrieau) at the third quarter station in 1:30.2. As Believeitanyway fought off that rival, Forthena moved underway from fifth and kicked home in :30.3 to collar the pacesetter by a nose in 2:01.3. Longshot Windmere Gem (Mark Mackinnon) closed to show.
Forthena paid $5.50 to win as the co-favourite. The homebred Force Of Life-Windsun Athena filly, who was last year’s Maritime Breeders champion, is owned by Riley Farms Ltd. and Earith Riley of Kensington, P.E.I. She has recorded seven wins, four seconds and seven thirds in 22 career starts while banking $47,159. The win was her second of the season in seven starts.
Four more $2,500 ‘B’ divisions were contested during the 12-race card with last year’s Atlantic Breeders Crown divisional champion Our Lady Byng returning to the winner’s circle.
In the first ‘B’ division, Ms Campbell ($10.60) and driver Gilles Barrieau converted from the pocket to prevail by three-quarters of a length in 2:02.1 over the popular pacesetter Princess Leader (Mark Bradley). The daughter of Justice Denied-U Bet Your Life, who is trained by Blaine Baglole for owner Shane Baglole of Cornwall, P.E.I., tasted victory for the first time in 16 career starts.
Up next was the Kenny Arsenault-trained and driven Our Lady Byng ($3.60), who blasted to the top from the outside six post and cruised to a two and a quarter length victory in 2:01.4. The daughter of Largo-Trade Name earned her first victory in six starts this year for Islanders Peter Smith, Donald Smith, Gerald Morrissey, and Larry Chappell.
Grayland Rain ($4.60) and trainer-driver Marc Campbell rallied from third to capture the next ‘B’ division in 2:03.1 by two and a quarter lengths. Paul Gray of Pugwash, N.S. owns the Benvolio Hanover-Donnas Four As miss, who notched her first win in eight seasonal starts.
The final ‘B’ split went to the maiden-breaking Woodmere Grinny ($5.60) and Barrieau, who romped to a seven and a half length victory in 2:00.1. Wade Sorrie trains and co-owns the daughter of Western Success-Yankee Grin with local owner Walter Simmons.
For results from Friday’s harness racing card, click on the following link: Friday Results – Summerside Raceway.