Red Shores’ Summerside Raceway offered no less than six stakes dashes during its live program this afternoon (Sunday, Aug. 25), as multiple divisions of the Joe O’Brien Memorial and Lady Slipper for two-year-old pacers helped fill the card.
Complete breakdowns of each of the races appear below.
Lady Slipper (two-year-old pacing fillies)
Magical Mistress ($2.80) was large and in charge during the $19,000 Gold division of the Lady Slipper, as the Stephen Gass-trained and Adam Merner-driven Camystic filly extended her career unbeaten streak to six courtesy of a dominant gate-to-wire win. After having been shown 2-5 support from the public, Merner lined his charge up to Post 5 for the duel, and that was as close at their rivals would get to them. The Barry Martin (Sydney, Nova Scotia) homebred proceeded to cross over to the point, cut all the speed (:28.2, :58.2, 1:27.2), and go on to post a resounding seven and a half-length win in a life’s-best 1:56.1. So Much More (Mark Bradley) finished second and Dustylanebukinfuty (Corey MacPherson) was third under the wire.
Magical Mistress, pictured after her victory in the Lady Slipper (Image courtesy Frankie L)
The first of the Lady Slipper’s $5,500 Grassroots divisions faced the gate for Race 4, and it was the Post 1 starter, Miss Dynamite D ($19.30), who was dispatched at odds of 8-1, that nailed the wire first. The Robert MacLeod-trained and Gillies Barrieau-driven bay did all of the work on the front (:29.3, 1:01.2, 1:32.4) and had enough left to hold on for a nose win in 2:02. The pocket-riding You Aint Dolly (Mark Bradley) was unable to convert her two-hole trip and had to settle for second. Cheeky Cherry (Mary Clare MacDonald), who raced third throughout the mile, finished two and three-quarter lengths back in third. Miss Dynamite D is an Image Of Dawn bay that is out of the Ameripan Gigolo mare JJ Mistress. She has now won three of her six career starts and is owned by Colin William MacLeod and Maria Macleod (South West Margaree, Nova Scotia).
Odds-on favourite Skycrew ($3.90), who is an Ameripan Gigolo bay that is driven by her trainer, Vince Poulton, captured the second of the Lady Slipper’s Grassroots splits (Race 6) in 2:02.3. The duo started from the rail, cut all the speed (30.3, 1:01.2, 1:32.2) and posted a one and a quarter-length win in a life’s-best clocking. After a Post 4 start, Woodmere Oleksiak (Marc Campbell) had been forwardly placed and later came first up, but ultimately had to settle for second. Howmac Margarita (Kenny Arsenault) sat the pocket through the fractions and finished a close third. Skycrew, who is out of the Western Hanover mare Allamerican Shaina, has now won two of her eight starts for her owner, Shane Doyle (Charlottetown, P.E.I.).
The Lady Slipper’s final Grassroots division (Race 10) saw the David Dowling-driven Carnivore bay After The Lovin ($5.60) start from the rail and post a two and a quarter-length, wire-to-wire victory in 2:00 for trainer Earl Watts. After a Post 7 start, Arc Light (Marc Campbell) kept tabs on After The Lovin from second, but ultimately succumbed to her trip and finished second. The Kenny Arsenault-driven Akrotiri rounded out the top three, but finished 11 lengths in arrears. After The Lovin, who is out of the Shady Character mare Deliver Me, lowered her career mark with effort and is now undefeated after two starts for owners Windemere Farms (North Wiltshire, P.E.I.) and River Valley Management (Quispamsis, New Brunswick).
Joe O’Brien Memorial (two-year-old pacing colts and geldings)
The $16,000 Gold division of the Joe O’Brien Memorial Stake took to the track for Race 9, and it was the undefeated Woodmere Bolt ($6.90) that went on to extend his winning streak to six, but it certainly wasn’t a cake walk for the son of Malicious. With his trainer, Earl Smith calling the shots in the sulky, Woodmere Bolt lined up in Post 3 and was quickest off the switch, as he made his way to the front and led his rivals past the quarter pole in :28. The second quarter was a different story, however, as Woodmere Bolt was relegated to second after Red Dirt Rocknroll (Marc Campbell) moved to the lead and was first to the half-mile indicator in :58.1. Woodmere Bolt then watched the David Dowling-driven Dusty Lane Cortez come first-up and pressure the pace past the 1:28.2 three-quarters pole. Woodmere Bolt bided his time, but got down to work again in the lane. The effort paid off, as the gelding out of the Rocknroll Hanover mare For All We Know was able to get up and record a half-length victory over Dusty Lane Cortez in a life’s-best 1:58.4. Howmac Finale (Dale Spence), who had stalked from fifth, came home with a charge and finished one and a quarter lengths back in third. Woodmere Bolt is now perfect after six starts for owners Peter Smith (Stratford, P.E.I.) Gerald Morrissey (Vernon River, P.E.I.) and Arnold Hagen (Bible Hill, Nova Scotia).
Woodmere Bolt, pictured after his victory in the Joe O’Brien Memorial (Image courtesy Frankie L)
The first of the O’Brien Memorial’s $6,000 Grassroots divisions headed to post for Race 2, and it was the Leslie Waite-trained and Corey MacPherson-driven JKs Boy ($3.20) that delivered on his 3-5 pari-mutuel promise. After his Post 1 start, the black Westwardho Hanover gelding went straight to the point, cut all the fractions (:30, 1:00.1, 1:30.3), and held on in the lane for a maiden-breaking, quarter-length win in 2:02. Camco Lover Boy (driven by Marc Campbell), who raced overland for three quarters of the mile, was impressive from off the pace and just missed pulling off an upset win. Proven Boots (Jason Hughes), who was another that closed hard from the backfield, was also a legitimate threat in the lane, as he gobbled up real estate and finished third, just a half-length back of the victor. JKs Boy, who is out of the Cams Card Shark mare JK Casablanca, is owned by Leith Waite (of Summerside, P.E.I.) and Leslie and Spencer Waite (Charlottetown, P.E.I.).
The second of the O’Brien Memorial’s Grassroots divisions faced the gate for Race 8, and a break by the post-time choice allowed the Robert Phillips-trained and Ken Murphy-driven Purple Poet ($12.60) to post a slight 5-1 upset in wire-to-wire fashion. The Stonebridge Terror colt had started from Post 2 and ultimately did all the work (:30.2, 1:01.3, 1:30.4) on the point before posting a four and three-quarter-length win in 2:01. The rail starter, Knockout Punch (Jason Hughes), took a two-holre ride through the fractions and finished second. Dont Be A Hero (David Dowling) made an interference break near the three quarters and finished third, albeit more than six lengths back of the victor. Mall Peen Hammer (Kenny Arsenault), who was sent postward as the public’s top pick, also made a break near the three quarters and finished just off the board in fourth. Purple Poet’s win was of the maiden-breaking variety. The bay out of the Royal Mattjesty mare Real Girlie is owned by Kevin Harvey (Hammonds Plains, Nova Scotia).
To view the harness racing results for Sunday at Summerside, click the following link: Sunday Results – Summerside Raceway.