The first leg of the Erwin Andrew Memorial Series was held at Truro Raceway on Sunday, with Abby Best and Grace And Harv winning their respective $3,650 divisions
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The event, which is sponsored by host tracks along with Standardbred Canada and Meridian Farms, will feature four legs leading up to the final at Summerside Raceway.
Abby Best, fresh off her win in the Lobster Carnival late closer at Summerside Raceway, front-stepped her way to a 1:58.2 victory in the opening split for driver Clare MacDonald and owner/trainer Angus MacLean of Port Hood, NS.
The nine-year-old Cambest miss knifed her way through fractions of :28.2, :58.2 and 1:27 before sealing the deal with a :31.2 final frame. It was more than five lengths back to runner-up Tobins Paradise. Phightenphilly rounded out the top three.
The victory was her fifth of the season and the 45th of her career. The rugged mare has stashed away more than $91,000 in lifetime earnings.
Grace And Harv, who had a three-race win streak snapped when she played second fiddle to Abby Best at Summerside last week, also used gate-to-wire tactics to take her tilt in 1:58.2 for trainer/driver Gilles Barrieau.
The six-year-old daughter of Dexter Nukes sprinted to the lead from post seven and threw down fractions of :27.2, :58.2 and 1:27 before finishing off her foes with a :31.2 final quarter. Runner-up Red Star Ashlee go to within three-quarters of a length of the winner, with Shooters Bay taking home the show dough.
Wayne MacRae of Fall River, NS and Howmac Farms Ltd of North Wiltshire, PEI share ownership on the 15-time winner, who is now 4-for-8 this season. The lion’s share of the purse boosted her career bankroll to $106,796.
Here’s a schedule of the remaining events for this year’s Erwin Andrews Memorial Series:
Leg 2 – Friday, August 27 at Summerside Raceway
Leg 3 – Thursday, September 2 at Exhibition Park Raceway
Leg 4 – Thursday, September 30 at Charlottetown Driving Park
Final – Wednesday, October 20 at Summerside Raceway
To view Sunday’s results, click here.