Miki Shan N won the Preferred Pace in gate-to-wire fashion during Wilbur & Pauline MacDonald Memorial Day on Saturday, Aug. 2 at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park.
Corey MacPherson sent the six-year-old son of Always B Miki out of Yankee Dream to the lead and never looked back, setting fractions of :27.3, :56 and 1:24.2 before sprinting home in :26.3 to win by more than three lengths in 1:51 flat.
Miki Shan N paid $2.40 to win as the overwhelming favourite in the $5,900 Preferred Pace. The New Zealand-bred pacer is co-owned by Kap Singh Racing Stable of Yorktown Heights, New York, Stephen Klunowski of North York, Ont., Earl Hill Jr. of Ohsweken, Ont., and Donald MacRae of Vernon Bridge, P.E.I. Chris MacKay trains the Governor's Plate champion who is preparing for the Gold Cup & Saucer trials next Saturday when he will put a five-race P.E.I. win streak on the line.
Twin B Tuffenuff sat the pocket throughout for driver Gilles Barrieau and held second, with Roll Em and Marc Campbell third and Bee Two Bee, with Jason Hughes, close in fourth.
Mappos Lion ($2.30) proved why he was the class of the field in the Wilbur & Pauline MacDonald Memorial Pace with a dominant 1:53.3 victory in the $6,300 event. The eight-year-old Sunshine Beach-Pacific Playmate gelding is currently trained by Bo Ford for owners Hailee Currie of Rocky Point, P.E.I., and Carol Campbell of Baddeck, N.S., who also bred the speedy pacer. Gilles Barrieau was in the race bike.
The other Wilbur & Pauline MacDonald Memorial Pace was won by the three-year-old Pang Shui-Western colt Bentley ($2.20) and driver Marc Campbell in 1:55.3 for trainer John Clarey and owner/breeder Mike Clarey of Montague, P.E.I.
In the PIPSC Charlottetown SH Subgroup Health Professionals Pace, Power Of Four ($6.70) won in line to David Dowling in 1:58 for owner/trainer Irwin Neill.
Barrieau and MacPherson both had driving triples while Mike McGuigan doubled as a trainer/driver.
Live harness racing continues on Sunday at 1 p.m. (ADT) at Red Shores Summerside.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click the following link: Saturday Results - Charlottetown Driving Park.
(With files from Red Shores)