Distaffers turned out in droves at the Charlottetown Driving Park on Tuesday evening, as the half-mile oval hosted the opening leg of the Spud Island Classic
– a late closer for pacing mares.
Unfluffnbelievable eked out a nose victory in the first of the $2,500 divisions for the tandem of driver Mike Stevenson and trainer Darren Trainor. The seven-year-old Big Tom miss sat a pocket trip behind N Xample Deal for most of the mile before nipping that heavily-favoured foe right on the money in a time of 1:58.3. Gauloise Duharas rounded out the top three finishers.
Jennifer Doyle of Vernon River, PEI holds the ownership papers on the 10-time winner, who is closing in on $45,000 in lifetime earnings.
Grave And Harv extended her winning streak to three-in-a-row thanks to her 1:57 score in the second division for trainer/driver Gilles Barrieau. The six-year-old daughter of Dexter Nukes led to the quarter pole in :28.1 before taking a pocket trip behind Kiss Quietly through middle splits of :58.2 and 1:27.4. Barrieau found clearance in the and Grace And Harv used a :28.4 closing panel to post the half-length victory over odds-on favourite Kiss Quietly. P L Betterway was a distant third in the $2,500 tilt.
Wayne MacRae of Fall River, NS and the Howmac Farms Ltd of North Wiltshire, PEI share the ownership on the 17-time winner. She lifted her lifetime earnings to $109,296 with the win.
Abby Best took the final division in a time of 1:57.4 for driver Kenny Arsenault, and in doing so she pushed her winning streak to five-in-a-row for owner/trainer Angus MacLean of Port Hood, NS. The nine-year-old daughter of Cambest supplied the field with fractions of :28.2, :58.2 and 1:28.4 before kicking out a :29-second last quarter en route to winning by 4-1/2 lengths over Olivia Hall, with Triage another length back in third.
It was the 48th lifetime tally for Abby Best, who has put together an 8-3-3 record from just 18 trips postward this season. She has banked more than $93,000 in her career.
To view Tuesday’s results, click here.