New Marks In O'Brien Divisions

Published: August 22, 2020 03:09 pm EDT

The Saturday (August 22) afternoon card of harness racing at Red Shores Racetrack & Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park featured a pair of $8,400 Joe O'Brien Grassroots divisions for three-year-old pacing colts.

J J Patrick gave the recently-injured Mike McGuigan something to smile about, taking a new lifetime mark in the first division. With driver Corey MacPherson at the controls, J J Patrick played catch me if you can against his six rivals and those efforts proved futile. After fractions of :29.3, :59.1 and 1:27.4, J J Patrick paced home in :28.4 to hold off pocket sitter Whims Drops Off (Adam Merner) by a quarter of a length and trip the timer in a life's best 1:56.3. Favoured Brutusthebarbarian (Darren Crowe) finished third after a failed first-over bid.

Marc Gallant of Summerside, P.E.I. owns and McGuigan trains J J Patrick (Image Of Dawn - Hurricane Heide), who now sports a 2-2-2 summary from 11 sophomore starts and $6,542 in seasonal earnings.

The first-over route to victory was successful for Woodmere Rollex in the second O'Brien division. Driver Brodie MacPhee sat in third with Woodmere Rollex while public choice Outrageous Story (Gilles Barrieau) paced through panels of :28.1 and :57. MacPhee started that outer flow attack approaching the third quarter mark, which Outrageous Story reached in 1:26.4, and a :28.4 final stanza was enough for Woodmere Rollex to wear down the pacesetter and hit the wire more than a length the best in a career best 1:56.1. Outrageous Story stayed for second with Notyourtypicalman (David Dowling) completing the triactor.

Woodmere Rollex (Rollwithitharry - LTs Magic) picked up his fourth win of the season in 11 starts for trainer Earl Smith and owner David Lund of Moncton, N.B. The winner's share of the purse gives the bay gelding $12,514 in earnings for the campaign.

Bet down to post time favouritism, Southwind Ion led at every call to win the Linda Ford Memorial Pace. In line to David Dowling, Southwind Ion left well in the Ford Memorial from post 6 to clear the lead and cut out all the fractions en route to a 1:55.4 victory. Jennifer Doyle owns and trains the Sportswriter mare with Danny Birt.

Soccer Hanover had the fastest mile of the afternoon, winning his $2,600 class in 1:53.4 for driver Corey MacPherson and trainer Leith Waite.

Setting Day won the Tom & Margaret Claybourne Memorial Trot in 2:00.4 for driver Kenny Arsenault, trainer Mike McGuigan and owner Jamie Whalen.

Smith also had a training double as he steered his own Saulsbrook Rocky to a 1:56.1 victory in the Fred & Rena Hughes Memorial.

For the results from the Saturday afternoon card, click the following link: Saturday Results - Charlottetown Driving Park (afternoon).

(with files from Red Shores)

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