A competitive field of trotters co-headlines the Thursday night, July 4 program at Red Shores Racetrack & Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park.
Post time for the 11-race card is 6 p.m.
Trainer Jennifer Doyle sends out three entries in the Race 9 showdown featuring a purse of $3,300, including last week’s Open Trot winner Jessiejesorjessica, who scored a one-length victory over Irish Ray in 1:58.1 for David Dowling. With Dowling competing in the National Driving Championship on Friday in Quebec, Adam Merner gets his first-time drive on the mare, a winner of 46 races lifetime who is owned by Danny Birt of Vernon Bridge, P.E.I. She will start from post six in the seven-horse field. Birt and Doyle also have New Legacy (Damien MacLellan) and Glider Man (Myles Heffernan) in the race scheduled to go to post at 8:24 p.m.
Irish Ray is the 5-2 choice on the morning line from post three with Marc Campbell handling the driving duties for his son Landon, who trains the former stakes superstar for Fred MacDonald of Cornwall, P.E.I. The son of Muscle Through It is searching for his first win in his four-year-old campaign.
Peter MacPhee, author of Post Time Picks, thinks Irish Ray will get it done on Thursday.
“He was put on the engine and raced great, just missing by the slimmest of margins,” wrote MacPhee. “We’re thinking Marc will be flooring it from here and if he does clear to the lead, it could be the night he flips the script.”
Majian Tango, Windemeredontuworry and Labero round out the field.
The evening’s top $3,400 pace comes up in Race 10 with Share The Moment listed as the top contender from the outside post five. With Gilles Barrieau committed to rail-sitter Outrageous Style from the Ron Matheson stable, trainer Bo Ford has secured Marc Campbell to drive for the ownership team of Luke Beck, Scott Bridges and Arnold Myers. The mare is 2-1-3 in top threes from 10 starts.
Rock The Baby looms the danger from post three for driver Ken Murphy, Windemere Farms and trainer Earl Watts. Ms Moyse (Merner) also has a chance be on the top of the sequence in the last Daily Double for trainer Melissa Rennie. The seven-year-old mare by Rollwithitharry makes her seventh start of the season for local owners Olivia May, Quaid Hately of Andrew Cameron.
Play at the track or from home through hpibet.com. For the Race Day broadcast, race programs and more, go to the new Player Portal at redshores.ca.
To view Thursday's harness racing entries, click the following link: Thursday Entries - Charlottetown Driving Park.
(With files from Red Shores)