The third and final trial for this year’s Sobey’s Gold Cup & Saucer was contested earlier this evening at the Charlottetown Driving Park, and Machs Beach Boy and driver Doug McNair showed no mercy to the foes they faced.
The four-year-old son of Mach Three-Letsgo Sparkle took over command in front of the grandstand and powered away from the competition in a sparkling time of 1:52.2.
Savannah Splendor carved out the quarter in :26.2, but he relinquished the lead when Machs Beach Boy and McNair came calling on the way to the half. Machs Beach Boy hit the half in :54.1 before rolling the field to the three-quarter pole in 1:24. A :28.3 closing panel helped propel Machs Beach Boy to a winning margin of 12-1/2 lengths over Lulus Boy. Savannah Splendor finished third.
“He’s been real good, he should have won last week but I had him too far out of it,” said driver Doug McNair. “The last three of four starts he’s really come together and he was really good tonight. He definitely needs to draw good [for the final], it’s a real tough race. I think James MacDonald is going to take over in the final, and he’s a great guy to take over. He’s a great guy to take over, he’s got a great set of hands and I’ll be cheering for him.”
Brad Shakes trains the 10-time winner for Dan Mogridge of Hillsdale and Jeff Oborne of Jordan Station, ON. The pacer improved his 2013 record to 7-2-0 from 21 trips postward while bumping his lifetime earnings to $180,825 with the win.
Monday evening’s card also featured a $2,000 Preferred Pace, with Creighton Hanover using a last-to-first brush to win the six-horse affair in 1:56. Gary Chappell engineered the come-from-behind score with the four-year-old son of Camluck-Cingergy Hanover, who drew clear to win by two lengths over Manraysonjo. Third prize went to Epanephrine.
Willis Silliker trains the nine-time winner for owner Walter Simmons of Summerside, PEI. The pacer has banked $115,445 to date.
To view results for Monday evening's card of harness racing, click the following link: Monday Results – Charlottetown Driving Park.
The afternoon portion of Monday’s double header at the CDP featured ATSS action for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings. There were a trio of ‘A’ events and a quartet of ‘B’ divisions served up on the 12-race card.
Untouchable One certainly lived up to his name thanks to an impressive-looking victory in his $8,980 ‘A’ division for the tandem of driver Gilles Barrieau and trainer Sean Dooley. Barrieau hustled the son of Carlspur-Bolero Tam Tam right to the lead and the gelding successfully sliced out splits of :26.4, :55.2 and 1:24.4 before cruising home in :30.3 to halt the teletimer in a career-best clocking of 1:55.2. Runner-up Watersides Kipper was 5-1/2 lengths in arrears, with third prize going to T M Valley Storm.
Sent off as the 1-5 favourite, Untouchable One grabbed his second straight win and his fifth of the season in seven tries. The career winner of $77,038 is owned by Dooley Boys Racing Stable of Halifax, NS.
J B Bolt also took home a new lifetime mark thanks to his 1:56.2 victory in the second ‘A’ division. The son of Force Of Life-Tornade Universel hustled his way to the lead and supplied fractions of :28.4, :58.1 and 1:27.1 before sprinting home in :29.1 to seal the deal by 2-1/4 lengths. Scarlet Chaser was second best in the $8,980 affair, with Accelerated Pace taking home the show dough.
Redmond Doucet mapped out the winning trip for the Walter Walker trainee, who now boasts a 4-2-1 record from 12 starts this season. The six-time winner has banked nearly $17,000 for owner Raymond McKinnon of Inverness, NS.
Libertys Art found his way to the winner’s circle for the third time this season thanks to his 1:57.2 score in the final ‘A’ division. Trainer/driver Jason Hughes used come-from-behind tactics to post the 36-1 upset over Forever Paradise and Angelfire.
The son of Articulator-Dream Of Liberty, who is owned by Donald Mac Rae of Vernon Bridge, PEI, is now a four-time winner with earnings of close to $17,000.
The winners in the $2,500 ‘B’ divisions were Paraprosdokian in 1:58.2 for driver Marc Campbell and trainer Darryl MacLean, Brand Of My Own in 1:58.4 for driver Terry Gallant and trainer Thane Mann, Dynamic Datsyuk in 2:01 for trainer/driver Clare MacDonald and Remember Will in 1:56.3 for driver Brian MacPhee and trainer Ambyr MacPhee.
To view results for Monday afternoon's card of harness racing, click the following link: Monday Results – Charlottetown Driving Park.