Stunning Speed remained perfect while producing a dazzling mile on Tuesday, Aug. 18 in P.E.I. Colt Stakes action at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park during Old Home Week racing.
After racing second through the first turn, trainer-driver Mike McGuigan sent Stunning Speed to the front in the second $14,650 P.E.I. Colt Stakes two-year-old trotting colt division. The Muscle Through It-Stunning Look rookie carved out fractions of :29.2, :58.4 and 1:28.2 before winning by 1-3/4 lengths in 1:58.4 over a track rated good with a one-second variant. Hopthroughit (Clare MacDonald) finished second with Earl Speed (Jason Hughes) third.
The victory gave Stunning Speed five wins from five career starts and boosted his lifetime earnings to $32,669 for owners Little Pond Stables of Little Pond, P.E.I. and The Coles Stable of Charlottetown, P.E.I. He paid $2.70 to win.
Massivearmour ($2.10) also kept his perfect record intact in the other $14,650 two-year-old trotting colt division for trainer Darryl MacLean. Under orders from Gilles Barrieau, he controlled the race through splits of :30.4, 1:03 and 1:33.4 before powering away to win by 6-3/4 lengths in 2:03.4. Supreme Muscle (McGuigan) was second with I Dream Of Muscles (Jim Ripley) third.
The Muscle Mass-Incredible Hally colt is now undefeated in three career starts with $23,309 earned for owner-breeders Calvin Larkin of Mermaid, P.E.I. and Erika Bradley of Charlottetown.
Saulsbrook Disco ($4.90) captured the $14,650 P.E.I. Colt Stakes division for two-year-old trotting fillies in 2:06.2 for trainer Landon Campbell and driver Marc Campbell. Early Speed (Myles Heffernan Sr.) set the fractions of :32.1, 1:04.4 and 1:36.3 before Saulsbrook Disco advanced first-over and prevailed by three-quarters of a length. Redland Trixie (Clare MacDonald) completed the triactor.
The winning Muscle Through It-Cleveland Twilight filly has won four of her five career starts and banked $23,079 for What R The Oddz Stable of Orwell, P.E.I.
Hallysgurl ($2.10) overwhelmed her rivals in the $21,100 three-year-old trotting filly division for trainer Darryl MacLean and driver Barrieau. The Muscle Mass-Incredible Hally filly was fourth to a :29.4 quarter, out and moving through a 1:01 half, took command before the three-quarters in 1:29.4 and opened up to win by 6-3/4 lengths in 1:59.2. Bonmati (Corey MacPherson) was second with Miss Gracie Ridge (Brodie MacPhee) third.
The victory was the ninth of Hallysgurl’s 14-race career and increased her lifetime bankroll to $51,041 for owner-breeders Larkin and Bradley. She is five-for-seven this season.
Little Louis ($2.10) continued his remarkable career with a victory from post eight in the $21,100 three-year-old trotting colt division. After sitting sixth to a :28.4 quarter, Corey MacPherson moved the Kuri White trainee three-wide at the half-mile mark in :56.3, and Little Louis powered to the lead before three-quarters in 1:28.2 and went on to win by 2-3/4 lengths in 1:59.3. Hoponarocket (Barrieau) finished second while Call Of Honor (Ken Murphy) was placed third.
The victory was the fifth from six starts this season and the 15th from 17 lifetime outings for owner-breeder East Coast Captains of Cornwall, P.E.I. Little Louis, a defending Atlantic Breeders Crown champion, has now earned $116,048 in his career.
Adam Merner recorded a driving triple on the program. Listen Linda Lou ($5.70) opened the card with a 1:57.4 victory for trainer Carson Wilkie before Merner’s own trainee House That Builtme ($3.30) romped in 1:58.1. Merner completed his three-win performance aboard the Todd Walsh-trained Raising Sand ($5.60) in 1:58.2.
Marc Campbell also recorded a driving triple as he guided the Charles Gaudreault-trained Shadow Roman ($2.80) to a maiden-breaking victory in 1:57.3 before winning with Saulsbrook Disco and Rina Labelle ($4), who stopped the clock in 2:01.2. Saulsbrook Disco and Rina Labelle also gave trainer Landon Campbell a training double.
Live racing continues Wednesday at Red Shores Charlottetown with a 15-dash presentation beginning at 6 p.m.
To view Tuesday's harness racing results, click the following link: Tuesday Results - Charlottetown Driving Park.
(Red Shores; photo of Stunning Speed winning on Aug. 1)