Forever Paradise's track record performance for two-year-old pacing colts and geldings highlighted Wednesday evening's stakes-filled card of harness racing at Summerside Raceway.
Freshman pacers and trotters dominated the 15-race stakes only card, packed full of Joe O'Brien Memorial and Lady Slipper divisions.
Driven by Marc Campbell, Forever Paradise closed out the evening with a dazzling 1:57.2 triumph in one of two $10,000 Gold divisions of the Joe O'Brien Memorial Stakes.
With the inside post position, Scarlet Chaser established the lead and carved out opening fractions of :28.2 and :58.3 before being confronted by Forever Paradise. The Kevin MacLean trainee advanced first over from fourth to take the lead past the half and reached three-quarters in 1:27.4. He then scooted away from the closing favourite, Accelerated Pace, down the stretch to win by two and three-quarter lengths in 1:57.2. Colbys Comet finished third.
The 1:57.2 clocking was a new personal best for Forever Paradise's and lowered Ultimate Blessing's track record for two-year-old male pacers by one-fifth of a second.
The Western Paradise-Mariart gelding is now two-for-five in his young career with $6,139 banked in purses for P.E.I. owners Reginald MacPherson and David Mackenzie of Stratford, and Aaron Mackenzie of Winsloe.
Campbell swept the Gold O'Brien divisions as his trainee Paraprosdokian earned a 1:59.3 maiden-breaking win just a couple races earlier.
Paraprosdokian recovered from an early break and circled the field to prevail by a neck, denying the pacesetting Its My Turn his initial victory. Watersides Kipper finished over a length behind in third.
Campbell conditions the Western Paradise-Armbro Boudoir colt for owner Buntainwood Farm of Brackley Beach, P.E.I.
The three $5,000 O'Brien Grassroots divisions went to first-time winner Hezmaboy and Arsenault in 2:02; Mr Monday and Clare MacDonald in 2:02.3; and Woodmere Trakeater in a maiden-breaking 2:00.3 for Darren Crowe.
Trained and driven by Danny Romo, the undefeated Top Brand took top honours once again in her $11,300 Gold division of the Lady Slipper for two-year-old pacing fillies. The Brandons Cowboy-This Marks A Lady filly swept to command from the pocket at the half-mile marker and then opened up an insurmountable 14-1/2 length leading marging on her foes to win for the sixth straight time in a career-best 1:59.2. Tobins Mygirl finished second and early leader Dont Tell Cindy settled for third.
Top Brand is owned by Thomas Hawco Jr. and Melissa Hawco of Sydney, N.S. She won her career debut in the Callbeck Stakes at Summerside on July 1 and followed up that effort with victories in Atlantic Sires Stakes events at Summerside, Truro, Inverness and Charlottetown prior to tonight. Her bankroll now stands at $21,672.
Another undefeated filly, Misssassy Attitude, took the other Gold division in wire-to-wire fashion. Arsenault sent the Brandons Cowboy-Briannas Attitude miss down the road to win for the third consecutive time in a personal best 2:00 flat. Ask Dont Tell followed one and three-quarter lengths behind from the pocket and Howmacs Angel advanced first over into third.
Misssassy Attitude, who earned back-to-back victories in ATSS action to kick off her career, is owned by trainer Kenneth Glen Wilkie of Stratford, P.E.I. and Larry Chappell of Marshfield, P.E.I. Her earnings climbed to $8,955.
A quartet of $4,700 Grassroots were won by Life Of A Cowgirl in 2:04.3 for MacDonald and trainer Steve Shepherd; Lyndale Annie in a maiden-breaking 2:01.2 with Brodie MacPhee aboard for trainer Terence Affleck; first-time winner Waterside Scamp in 2:04.3 for Arsenault; and Windemere Maggie in 2:01 with Walter Cheverie in the sulky for trainer Ray Lester.
Freshman trotters were featured in three $5,600 Lady Slipper splits. Windemere Norma and Arsenault turned back a challenge from eventual third place finisher Irish Lullaby before opening up more than four lengths on their foes to win the first division in a career-best 2:07.3. Crestwave Morning finished second off a pocket trip. The winning Black River filly is owned by trainer Ralph Annear and Steven Sorrie, both of Montague, P.E.I.
Driven by Gary Chappell for trainer Stacey Lund, Im Graceful wore down the pacesetting Taliesin to win the following division in 2:07.1 by one and a half lengths with I Aint No Lady coming in third. The win was her third in a row and lowered her lifetime mark. The daughter of Northern Bailey is owned by Kensington, P.E.I.'s David and Debbie Macmurdo, and Chris MacKay.
William Roloson's Northern Bailey filly Oceanview Kate converted from the pocket to prevail in the other split, stopping the clock in a personal best 2:07.2 with Mike Stevenson in tow. Money Show finished three-quarters of a length behind in second with Leahs Girl third and pacesetter Rash Statement fading to fourth.
B J Carmalyta, driven by MacDonald, topped the three-year-old trotters as she advanced first over from third after the opening quarter in lone $14,300 Lady Slipper sophomore split and wrestled the lead away from My Daisy Duke into the stretch. Sweetwater Rukkus finished three-quarters of a length behind in second over the pacesetter. The winning homebred Meadowagogo miss, who is owned and trained by Bert Honkoop of Montague, P.E.I., stopped the clock in a career-best 2:02.3.
To view Wednesday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Wednesday Results - Summerside Raceway.