Meridian Magic extended her impressive win streak to 20 and took a new mark of 1:56.4 with another wire-to-wire romp in Atlantic Sires Stakes action on Saturday afternoon at Charlottetown Driving Park
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In the last of three $9,240 Atlantic Sires Stakes 'A' divisions for three-year-old filly pacers, Meridian Magic left from Post 2 and carved out fractions of :28.1, :56.4 and 1:26.3 as she expanded her lead to 15 lengths turning for home. The Largo-Hot Asset filly stopped the clock in a career-best 1:56.4 with her final margin of victory equaling nine and three-quarter lengths. Seawind Allegra (Danny Romo) and Woodmere Sandollar (Stephen Trites) were second and third.
Trained and driven by Kenny Arsenault, Meridian Magic has won her last 20 starts with nine of those victories occurring this year for over $40,000 in earnings. Her lifetime record now reads 20-1-2 in 23 outings with earnings totaling $117,127 for breeder Barry Martin and James Gillis of Sydney, NS.
Arsenault also captured an earlier ‘A’ division with odds-on Scootingforsuccess, who advanced first up from fourth before the half-mile mark to prevail by one length in 1:58.3 over Elm Grove Ella (Clare MacDonald) and pacesetter Hey Jean (Marc Campbell).
Wade Sorrie trains the Western Success-Scooting Annie filly, a winner of four races in 11 starts this year and $17,664, for Walter Simmons of Summerside, PE.
Woodmere Rose, with driver Gary Chappell, pulled off a 6-1 upset as she rallied three-wide at the third quarter mark and kicked home in :30.2 to win her division in 1:59.4 by a length and a half. Favourite Shesa Mint (Mike McGuigan) followed the winner’s three-wide move to finish second with C H Yocoohno (Kenny Arsenault) finishing over six lengths back in third after recovering from an interference break in the stretch.
Barry Folland trains and owns the daughter of Western Success-Blue Violet, now two-for-10 this year with $14,616 earned, with fellow Kensington, PE resident Roger Wall. The pair purchased Woodmere Rose for $1,400 in the Atlantic Classic Sale.
The four $2,500 ‘B’ division winners were Coco Rose (Jeff Lilley) in 2:01.4, Two For Three (Mark Bradley) in 2:03.3, Emyvale (Vincent Poulton) in 2:01 and Askbeforeyousign (Mike Stevenson) in 2:02.1.
In other action, Dusty Lane Shelby and driver Corey MacPherson went wire-to-wire to win this week’s $1,400 Open Trot, holding off Dunmore Alpha (Ed Smallwood) by three-quarters of a length. MacPherson put the Mitchell Tierney pupil on the lead after leaving from Post 4 and showed the way past stations of :29.2, :59.3 and 1:30.1 en route to the season’s-best 2:00.2 score. Flashy Image (Gary Chappell) finished two and a half lengths back in third.
Dusty Lane Shelby paid $7.40 to win as the 5-2 second choice in the field. The eight-year-old Imperial Angus-Dusty Lane Nipper mare notched her fifth win in 13 starts for owner Jamie Lynn Tierney of Cornwall, PE. The career winner of over $40,000 will return to Charlottetown Driving Park on Tuesday, August 17 for the $1,500 Dave Younker Memorial Open Trot. She has been installed as the early 5-2 favourite and has drawn Post 2 in the event.
Racing continues at Charlottetown Driving Park this evening with the first of three Gold Cup & Saucer trials.
To view Saturday afternoon's results, click here. For tonight's entries, click here.