'Twas not a good day to be favoured in a stakes event at Red Shores Racetrack & Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park as both of Saturday's Joe O'Brien Memorial favourites were unable to make winner's circle appearances.
The Saturday afternoon card featured two $8,000 Grassroots divisions of the Joe O'Brien Memorial for three-year-old pacing colts. Dont Be A Hero made every call a winning one in the first split, going wire-to-wire for driver Todd Trites in a lifetime best 1:57.1 effort.
Favoured Howmac Magic (Marc Campbell) sat the pocket behind and stalked throughout the mile, emerging in the stretch for a late lunge at the leader but falling a half-length short. Flowersonthebeach (Ken Murphy) completed the triactor ticket.
Earl Watts trains Dont Be A Hero (Malicious - First Lady Of Art) for Windemere Farms of North Wiltshire and Harris Johnston & John Howatt of Charlottetown, P.E.I. The gelding picked up his third lifetime win and pushed his earnings to $13,047.
Dusty Lane Daytona was the public choice in the second division, and from the moment the wings of the starting gate folded it was clear he wouldn't have it easy. Clare MacDonald was parked nearly to the :28.2 first quarter, landed on the lead but felt pressure shortly thereafter from second choice R Es Daz (David Dowling) through a :58.1 half.
At this point, Ken Arsenault was advancing into second over position with Mall Peen Hammer. He didn't pause on Dowling's helmet, however, going three-wide down the backside as the third quarter was reached in 1:28.1. R Es Daz started to fade and Dowling dropped him back to the rail, allowing Mall Peen Hammer to pressure from the two path around the final turn. Hitting the stretch, Mall Penn Hammer pulled away from his rivals and held off a late bid from Paddy Murphy (Corey MacPherson) to win by nearly two lengths and earn a new mark of 1:58.1. R Es Daz rallied to nose out pacesetter Dusty Lane Daytona for show.
Mall Peen Hammer (Ameripan Gigolo - Mall Shook Up) picked up his fourth career win for trainer Sean Dooley and owners the Dooley Boys Racing Stable of Halifax, N.S. and Nikway Farms of St Davids, N.L. His lifetime bankroll now sits at $10,978 after the card.
To view the charts from Saturday afternoon's card of harness racing, click the following link: Saturday Results - Charlottetown Driving Park (afternoon).