Jackson K Down extended his undefeated win streak to five as Red Shores at the Charlottetown Driving Park hosted the fourth leg of the Atlantic Sires Stakes for two-year-old pacing colts and geldings during the Wednesday evening Old Home Week program.
Jackson K Down was victorious in the evening's third and final $9,900 "A" division for driver Gilles Barrieau, trainer Stephen Mason and the Downey Stables. The New Brunswick connections enjoyed a stakes double as K D Overdrive also won an earlier division.
Barrieau floated Jackson K Down off the gate from post two with outsiders Dees Boy and Howmacsblackjack stacked three-wide around the turn into the backstretch. Howmacsblackjack worked past Dees Boy with Jackson K Down in third through a first quarter of :28-seconds. Heading in front of the grandstand, Barrieau made his move with Jackson K Down and brushed to the lead as they raced by the half-mile mark in :58.1. The race appeared to be over from that point on as the divisional point leader began to draw away from the competition through three-quarters in 1:28.1 and left his rivals chasing him to the wire in 1:57.3. Offshore Cowboy came on for second, closing within two lengths of the winner, and Dees Boy finished third.
Jackson K Down's fifth win was his fastest yet by a full second and boosted his bankroll to $16,848. The homebred Camystic-Village Jericho gelding, who just set a 1:59 track record at Inverness Raceway in the Aug. 9 leg, paid $2.10 to win as the overwhelming 1-9 favourite.
In K D Overdrive's division, Beaus Cowboy fired to the lead and took the field through first half fractions of :28.2 and :58.2 with the eventual winner following in the two-hole. Lukes Cowboy advanced first up from third to take over the lead at three-quarters in 1:29, but Beaus Cowboy tried to battle back as they turned for home. However, K D Overdrive had tipped out behind Lukes Cowboy then fanned wide for the stretch drive and rushed by for the career-best victory in 1:57.1 -- the evening's fastest division. Lukes Cowboy finished three and a half lengths behind in second while Elm Grove Kaboom closed up the inside lane and passed Beaus Cowboy for third-place honours.
The Camystic-Stormy Sakra gelding was purchased for $5,000 at the Atlantic Classic Yearling Sale by the Downey Stables. He is three-for-five, with two of those victories in Atlantic Sires Stakes divisions. Wednesday's win pushed his career earnings to $12,200. Also the favourite in his division at odds of 6-5, K D Overdrive paid $4.40 to win.
The other "A" division was won by Heart And Soul in front-end fashion. Trainer/driver Clare MacDonald and the Western Paradise-Mighty Sassy gelding set sail for the lead from post five and worked past Magical Cowboy before the :28.4 first quarter mark. After clocking middle fractions of 1:00 and 1:30, there was no catching Heart And Soul as he paced away by over seven lengths to a new lifetime mark of 1:58.2. The 1-5 favourite paid $2.40 to win. Magical Cowboy stayed for second while Dilans Mustang finished third.
The homebred Western Paradise-Mighty Sassy gelding has earned back-to-back Atlantic Sires Stakes victories to go along with a division win in his career-debut in the mid-July opening leg. He is now three-for-five lifetime with earnings climbing to $13,632 for owners Earith and George Riley of Kensington, P.E.I.
Jackson K Down, Heart And Soul and K D Overdrive sit first through third-place in the divisional point standings heading into the final leg of the regular season, which will be held on Sept. 26 at Northside Downs.
Trainer/driver Danny Romo doubled up in the "B" divisions, which were each worth $2,500, scoring wins with the maiden-breaking Keen Edge (Brandons Cowboy-Allamerican Kelli) in 1:59.4 and Island Bobby (Force Of Life-Courtney Bob), who went from last to first for his second and fastest stakes win in 2:01.3. The other division went to the Rene Allard-homebred Windemere Rene (Carnivore-Kiki Hoe) in 2:00.2 with Marc Campbell driving for trainer Earl Watts.
To view Wednesday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Wednesday Results - Charlottetown Driving Park.