After flying late and just missing a spot in the Gold Cup and Saucer final, Bob Loblaw will have rail control in the historic James (Roach) MacGregor Gold Cup and Saucer Consolation, presented by Saltwire, on Friday, Aug. 16 at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park.
The Friday card has a special 4 p.m. opening post time featuring the $30,000 MacGregor Consolation and the Lady Slipper Stakes for three-year-old pacing fillies.
Bob Loblaw is favoured in the race 14 finale containing the fourth, fifth and sixth-place finishers from the three Gold Cup and Saucer Trials in a race named after legendary Milton horseman James (Roach) MacGregor, a former top trainer/driver in Quebec, Florida and Atlantic Canada. Dale Spence drives the rail starter in the consolation for trainer Ken Middleton, who co-owns with David Walls, James Grant and Starting Centre Stable, all of Ontario. Bob Loblaw won three straight starts in Ontario and P.E.I., before finishing fourth in Trial 3, won by Heaven On High N.
The second choice in the field is post two starter P L Ozzy (David Dowling), who finished fifth in Trial 1 after getting the show dough in the 2023 Gold Cup and Saucer final.
Also in the field are Smooth Lou (Corey MacPherson), One Eight Hundred (Dr. Mitchell Downey), Saulsbrook Ian (Brett MacDonald), Bounty Hunter (Kenny Arsenault), Blue Hunt (Jason Hughes), High Voltage Deo (Adam Merner) and Bee Two Bee (Gilles Barrieau).
The Post Time Picks likes P L Ozzy to prevail over Bob Loblaw and Blue Hunt: “P L Ozzy made a big move up the backstretch in Trial 1 but couldn’t make up enough ground and settled for a fifth-place finish. He was very sharp at Woodbine Mohawk Park prior to that and we’re betting Dowling will have him closer to the pace so get ready for a winning performance.”
The program also featured a trio of $18,500 Lady Slipper Gold divisions for three-year-old pacing fillies in races three, seven and 13, as well as $9,250 Grassroots divisions in races two, five, nine and 11.
To view Friday's harness racing entries, click the following link: Friday Entries - Charlottetown Driving Park.
(Red Shores; photo of Bob Loblaw from a previous win)