After a lengthy rain delay, Starcastic sped around Charlottetown’s half-mile oval and posted a solid win in the $2,100 Joe & Wal Hennessey Memorial.
Starcastic cut fractions of :28, :57 and 1:26.1 before kicking home in :29.2 to win in 1:55.3. Narragansett was second best, with third prize going to Nogreatmischief in the feature on the evening portion of the Thursday card.
Jackie Matheson trains the four-year-old son of Allamerican Native-Jodi St Laurent for PEI partners Bobbi Jo Gaudet of Charlottetown and Billy Mac Kenzie of Stratford. It was the third win of the year and the tenth to date for the gelding.
The afternoon portion of Thursday’s double-header featured five divisions of the Atlantic Sires Stakes – two ‘A’ contests and three ‘B’ divisions – for two-year-old pacing fillies.
Shesaroyal Cowgirl celebrated a maiden-breaking score in her $13,600 ‘A’ division for trainer/driver Marc Bradley. The daughter of Brandons Cowboy shot to the front from Post 2 and carved out splits of :29.2, 1:00 and 1:29.4 before using a :30.3 closing panel to win by a neck over Tobins Secret in 2:00.2. Race favourite Kinda Like Her recovered from an early miscue and rallied to salvage a third-place finish.
Bill Andrew of Calgary, AB and Brian Andrew of Milton Station, PE share ownership on the rookie who now owns a 1-3-0 record from just four trips postward. The $2,900 purchase from last year’s Atlantic Classic Yearling Sale has banked $11,655 to date.
Goodmorning KY pulled off a 21-1 stunner in the second ‘A’ division. The daughter of Aahm Canadian Now-Cinnamon Snowflake got away fourth before getting shuffled to fifth as the field hit the half. She was backed up to seventh at the three-quarter pole, but when she found daylight she kicked home in :30 to win by a nose over Filly Forty Seven in 2:00.1. Smart N Articulate was third.
Trainer Norris Rogers mapped out the maiden-breaking victory for the pacing lass, who is owned by Greg Richard of Wellington, PE. She’s assembled a 1-0-2 record from her first five trips to the track. She’s stashed away more than $8,000 in the process.
The $2,500 'B' divisions went to Winrlosedrnkdaboze (Articulator – 2:04.3), Not So Shy (Articulator – 2:04.2) and Elm Grove Luck (Camshaft Hanover – 2:02.4).