Thunderaway, with Jason Hughes in the bike, established a new track record for aged trotters stopping the timer in 1:57.3 Saturday at Red Shores Racetrack & Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park.
Thunderaway, owned by Foxyhall Racing, lowered the track record for aged mares from the 1:58.1 mark set by Real Housewife in the final of Erwin Andrew Memorial back on Gold Cup & Saucer night in 2013. Pleasure Girls (Ron Gass) was charted six and half lengths back for second in the $1,600 Fillies & Mares Open Trot, with Howmacs Pride (Kenny Arsenault) third.
The Hughes, Foxyhall Racing partnership also went on to win Red Shores' featured $2,400 Preferred 2 Pace when Si Semalu rolled from gate-to-wire in 1:56.3. It was the second win in a row for the son of Modern Art. Waterside Light (Kenny Arsenault) came flying late to grab second with Artners In Crime completing the triactor.
Eagle Jolt and Marc Campbell joined family members trackside when they won the Maurice Murphy 75th Birthday Pace while guests with Riviere & Smith Wedding Pace draped the winning cooler over Starcastic for driver Ron Matheson, trainer Jackie Matheson and owners Bobbi Jo Gaudet of Charlottetown and Billy MacKenzie of Stratford, P.E.I. Team Matheson also celebrated with Balanchine when the pacer notched his 60th lifetime victory on the program.
In other action, Ramblinglily won the $2,350 Fillies & Mares Open Pace by a neck over General Luckypercy in 1:56.2. Walter Cheverie guided the mare to her fifth victory of the year for trainer Allan Jones and co-owner Norman Leger. Newcomer Weskey, under the command of Harold Shepherd, won their Open Trot challenge in 1:59.3 for owner Stephen Morton.
Matheson, Hughes and Gary Chappell recorded driving doubles on the 13-dash program.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Charlottetown Driving Park.
(With files from Red Shores)