Monday’s afternoon harness racing card at Charlottetown Driving Park was full of surprises as all three of the $9,180 Atlantic Sires Stakes 'A' divisions for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings produced upset
winners.
Driven by John MacDonald, Balbriggan Fox survived an overland journey in the first division to score a career-best 1:57.4 victory by a half length over the popular pacesetter Howdidchado (Terry Gallant). Windemere Express (Marc Campbell) finished one length behind in third off a two-hole trip.
Balbriggan Fox paid $13.10 to win at the 5-1 fourth choice. The son of Toofunnyforwords-Sign Runner, who has won one third of his nine starts this year while banking over $7,000, is owned by trainer Blaine McKenna and Harold Culleton of Ellerslie, P.E.I.
Riverdale Jack and driver Gilles Barrieau advanced to command from fifth, making a three-wide move around the stalled Pictonians Matador (Mike Stevenson), and then opened four lengths on the field en route to a career-best 1:55.4 triumph in the second split. Woodmere Sandman (Stephen Trites), a 21-1 longshot, and Sock It To Em (Darren Crowe) closed well for second and third.
The son of Western Paradise-Island Rain paid $24.70 for the 11-1 upset. James Collins trains the black colt for John Kehoe of Reserve Mines, N.S. Unraced as a two-year-old, Riverdale Jack has recorded three (consecutive) wins in five starts so far this year. He has earned nearly $6,000 having never missed the board in those five outings.
Driver Clare MacDonald sent 6-1 fourth choice Maritimer to the top past the half-mile marker in the final division after getting away fourth, and the Full Scholarship-Country Chill colt kicked away to a four and a half length victory, establishing a new lifetime mark of 1:56.4 in the process. The Eagle (Gilles Barrieau) finished second and 30-1 longshot Stoveonfire (Corey MacPherson) was third. Favourite Pictonians Souwest (Mike Stevenson) made an early break and ended up fifth at the wire.
Maritimer paid $14.30 to win. The George Rennison trainee has won three Sires Stakes events in seven seasonal starts and raised his earnings to over $10,000 this afternoon. The bay colt is owned by Barbara Pearl of Hants Co, N.S.
All four $2,500 ‘B’ division winners also took new lifetime marks with the first three also scoring mild upset wins. Marvin Webster’s homebred colt Porthill Ian ($12.20) made his Sires Stakes debut a winning one in 2:00.4 with Mark Bradley in the bike; Tobins Fortune ($6.80) scored his first Sires Stakes victory in 1:57 with Todd Trites at the reins for trainer Henry Smallwood and owners Debbie, Peter and Gregory Francis of Windsor, N.S.; and Gardner McCallum trainee Neigh Monster ($5.60) and driver Gilles Barrieau romped to a 12 length victory in 1:57 for owner Arleen Gillis of Truro, N.S. Kevin MacLean’s homebred Rebelforce ($4.30), driven by Marc Campbell, was the only favourite to deliver in Sires Stakes action and he did so in 1:58.1.
Racing resumes tonight at 7 p.m. (AST) at Charlottetown, featuring the third Sobey's Gold Cup & Saucer Trial (Race 13). To watch the live stream online, click here.
For results from Monday afternoon’s harness racing card, click on the following link: Monday Results (Afternoon) - Charlottetown Driving Park.