Bugsy Maguire was patient at the start but made the winning move in the final lap to capture the Sunday afternoon (July 24) featured pace presented by Whelan Stables during a special Harness The Hope card at Red Shores at the Summerside Raceway. Every race was sponsored on the afternoon in support of the fundraiser.
Rookie driver Damian MacLellan left from post six with Bugsy Maguire in the $3,000 featured pace and got the former Governor’s Plate champion settled away third while Flowersonthebeach (Dale Spence) set the front-end tempo of :28.1 and :57.4. Bugsy Maguire then committed himself first-over heading to the three-quarters in 1:26.3 then unloaded a final panel of :28.1 to land victorious in 1:54.4. The Wade Sorrie-trained and Walter Simmons-owned pacer finished 2-1/2 lengths ahead of second-place Flowersonthebeach, with race favourite His Boy Elroy (David Dowling) third. The eight-year-old Bettors Delight gelding paid $18.20 for the upset.
Ken Murphy had the hot hands on the afternoon with five wins to overtake David “The Red Rocket” Dowling for top driver at the Prince County oval.
Murphy won with The Yingyang (1:58.2) for Allan Gregory, Brookdale Sienna (1:59.1) for Keith Campbell, Silver Spirit (1:58.3) for trainer Devon Wallace, Emperor (1:58.3) for Jeff Lewis and Betterthanglamor (1:59.4) from the Stewart stable.
Murphy now sits with 22 wins this year ahead of Dowling with 19 victories.
Keith Campbell had two wins from his barn as Theycallmedude (Adam Merner) also won in 1:58.2 in race seven.
Live racing continues Thursday (July 28) and Saturday evening (July 30) for the Standardbred Canada Atlantic Regional Driving Championship and Harness The Hope fundraiser at Red Shores Charlottetown with 6:30 p.m. opening post times. Red Shores Summerside races again Sunday (July 31) at 1 p.m., featuring the P.E.I. Colt Stakes for two-year-old pacers and two and three-year-old trotters.
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Sunday Results - Summerside Raceway.
(With files from Red Shores)