Three Grassroots divisions of the Lady Slipper Stakes highlighted the Friday afternoon (August 16) card of harness racing at Red Shores Racetrack & Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park.
Shadownthetwilight picked up the first stakes victory of her career after a wire-to-wire win in the first Lady Slipper division. Driver Mike McGuigan gave Shadownthetwilight her marching orders as the wings of the gate folded, and she did all the work after that. The fractions were sensible and virtually identical with splits of :29.4, 59.4, 1:29.4 before another 30-second quarter sealed the deal five lengths the best, ahead of Elm Grove Nanci (Gilles Barrieau) and Skycrew (Vince Poulton).
Leonard McGuigan trains Shadownthetwilight (Shadow Play - Twilight Lady) for James Grant of Cornwall and Ingham Jenkins, Jeff Maclennan and Drop Yer Gloves of Charlottetown, P.E.I. The win was the fourth of the season for the sophomore pacing filly and fourth career tally. Her earnings now sit at $7,731.
Glasgow Gracie pulled off the upset over 1-9 shot Pickpocketprincess in the second Lady Slipper division. Driver Marc Campbell had Glasgow Gracie sitting in fifth as Pickpocketprincess (Gilles Barrieau) put up a :29 first quarter, followed by a :58.2 half. Campbell started his move first-up just after the half and advanced to be within a length of the leader at the 1:28.2 third station. The front pair started to separate from the rest of the pack heading around the final turn, with Glasgow Gracie getting up to win by three parts of a length in a lifetime best 1:57.1. Camco In A Hurry (Jason Hughes) rallied for third.
Campbell handles the training on Glasgow Gracie (Stonebridge Terror - Dreaming) for owners Blair & Carl Hansen of Charlottetown and Isaac Schurman of Kensington, P.E.I. The pacing filly sports a 3-0-2 summary from eight seasonal starts with $5,783 in purses from those outings.
After challenging pacesetter Fern Hill Delight (Dave Dowling) from the half-mile point, it appeared that favoured Clare Hall Hanover was not going to catch her rival as the field approached the final turn. But driver Gilles Barrieau briefly tucked her in behind the frontrunner around that turn and then reemerged for a late rally to win by a length and a half in a life's best 1:59.3. Fern Hill Delight and Windemere Pay Day (Dale Spence) completed the triactor.
Howmac Farms Ltd. of North Wiltshire, PEI owns and Jackie Matheson trains Clare Hall Hanover (Well Said - Childs Play), now a winner of four races and $11,600 lifetime.
Live harness racing resumes on Friday night at Charlottetown Driving Park before the final two cards of Old Home Week on Saturday afternoon and Saturday evening, with the night card featuring the 60th Guardian Gold Cup & Saucer.
To view the results from Friday afternoon's card, click the following link: Friday Results - Red Shores Charlottetown (afternoon).