The 49th running of the Governor’s Plate will soon be upon us as Red Shores at the Summerside Raceway hosts two $5,000 elimination races on Sunday afternoon for the Prince County Classic.
First race post time is 1 p.m. for the 12-dash card with the Governor’s Plate eliminations lining up in races 11 and 12. The top four finishers from each elimination will advance to next Saturday’s (July 15) $22,000 Governor’s Plate final, presented by Summerside Chrysler Dodge.
The first Sunday afternoon elimination lines up in race 11 with Hot Deuce shipping in from Ontario to draw post four for trainer Patrick Shepherd and owner Mike McAllister of Beaumont, Alta. The five-year-old son of Armbro Deuce has proven to be a half-mile track specialist even without wearing hopples, as the pacer was a recent winner in 1:52.1 over Buffalo Raceway in New York. Walter Cheverie picks up the catch drive.
Former Red Shores Charlottetown track record holder Crombie A ships in from New York and draws post two with Summerside’s leading driver, Marc Campbell, getting the call for owners Allard Racing of St. Esprit, Que., and Kapildeo Singh of Yorktown Heights, New York, and new trainer Earl Watts. The veteran pacer took his 1:50.1 lifetime best while breaking the Yonkers Raceway track record in New York shortly before coming to contest the 2015 Gold Cup and Saucer.
The first elimination also features top East Coast pacers Forever Paradise (Adam Merner) and Mr Irresistible (Jason Hughes).
The second $5,000 elimination has Do Over Hanover getting top call from post five with Campbell in the bike for trainer Chris MacKay and new owners Allard Racing, Red Isle Racing of North Granville and Steven MacRae of Vernon Bridge, P.E.I. The four-year-old son of Western Ideal was purchased by his new connections after winning a $20,000 claimer in 1:53 over a sloppy track rated two seconds off at Saratoga Raceway in New York on July 1. With Saratoga’s half-mile oval rated two seconds off that day, that 1:51 equivalent effort could demolish Ys Lotus’ 1:51.4 Summerside track record from last year’s Governor’s Plate final.
Other elimination two contenders include Adkins Hanover (Merner), Invictus Hanover (Hughes) and Junebugs Baby (Myles Heffernan).
The 12-dash program also features two fields of Open pacing mares in races five and seven, with the top four from each race getting an invite to the Governor’s Plate Open Mares Invitational next Saturday in Summerside.
Check out Redshores.ca for live video, race programs and promotional information including the ongoing $100,000 Dash For Cash featured again this weekend.
Complete fields for Sunday’s Governor’s Plate eliminations:
Race 11
$5,000 Purse
Post - Horse – Driver – Trainer
1. Forever Paradise – Adam Merner – Kevin MacLean
2. Crombie A – Marc Campbell – Earl Watts
3. Goliath Reigns – Todd Trites – Dawn Ellis Abbott
4. Hot Deuce – Walter Cheverie – Patrick Shepherd
5. Allstar Seelster – Norris Rogers – Ed Harvey
6. Give Em Heck – Gilles Barrieau – Jackie Matheson
7. Mr Irresistible – Jason Hughes – Jennifer Trainor
8. Mando Fun – Dale Spence – Paul Biggar
Race 12
$5,000 Purse
Post – Horse – Driver – Trainer
1. Adkins Hanover – Adam Merner – Trevor Hicken
2. Invictus Hanover – Jason Hughes – Jason Hughes
3. Junebugs Baby – Myles Heffernan – Myles Heffernan
4. Good Friday Three – Kenny Arsenault – Austin Sorrie
5. Do Over Hanover – Marc Campbell – Chris MacKay
6. Nogreatmischief – Walter Cheverie – Walter Cheverie
7. His Boy Elroy – Bernard McCallum – Bernard McCallum
8. Perfect Escape – Gilles Barrieau – Jackie Matheson
Experience A Factor In Saturday Red Shores Feature
A sophomore and a veteran will lock horns in the Saturday evening feature at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park.
First race post time is 6 p.m. for the 10-dash card as the capital oval holds its final card of live racing until July 20 when Governor’s Plate week racing action is wrapped up at Red Shores Summerside.
The Saturday evening top class goes postward in race 10 carrying a $1,900 purse with Mick Dundee the morning line choice for owner/trainer/driver Don MacNeill of Charlottetown. The three-year-old son of Aahm Canadian Now is fresh off a 1:56.3 lifetime best last Sunday in Charlottetown but gets his biggest test to date from post four with a hard-hitting field of eight pacers including $400,000 winner Mach Of Ballykeel riding a two-race win streak. Mach Of Ballykeel is undefeated since relocating to the East Coast and gets the services of Marc Campbell at the lines as he leaves from post five. Kyle Wilkie of Charlottetown trains and co-owns the nine-year-old pacer with co-owner Mallory Lewis.
Race analyst Les MacIsaac will place his faith in the rookie in the field as he sees Mick Dundee landing in the Red Shores winner’s circle.
“Usually a three-year-old facing older horses is at a bit of a disadvantage but not this guy,” MacIsaac said of Mick Dundee. “He just wore down an excellent group last week despite being first up before the half and looked like he still had something in the tank finishing. He is quite possibly the one to beat.”
Other entries include Twin B Shadow (Brian MacPhee), Mach It Big (Brian Andrew), Fly With Max (Jason Hughes), Clic K (Gilles Barrieau), My Lucky Killean (Ken Murphy) and Rash B Havior (Walter Cheverie).
Race eight had Dontcallme Dude riding a two-race win streak from post three for driver Campbell, trainer Michael MacDonald and owner Gwr Visser Farm of Orwell, P.E.I.
Hes The Man also carries a two-race win streak into race six while shouldered with post seven for driver Cheverie and owner/trainer Jeff Holmes of Orwell.
(With files from Red Shores)