D Gs Camme went wire-to-wire to defend his title in the $6,000 in the J.A. Ferguson Memorial Invitational Pace while three-year-old pacers were in the Atlantic Sires Stakes spotlight on Saturday afternoon (August 27) at Northside Downs.
In the annual Invitational, defending champion and all-age track record holder D Gs Camme took the lead from the inside post and carved out fractions of :27.4, :57.2 and 1:25.4 on the way to a two-length victory in 1:55 flat for driver Gilles Barrieau and trainer Jackie Matheson. The winning time was four-fifths of a second off the track record that he set in last year's Ferguson Memorial. Smiley Bayama came on for second while third prize went to All Turain, who had won back-to-back editions of the race before D Gs Camme's reign.
The six-year-old Blissfull Hall-Cam Me Kindly gelding notched his 25th career win for Charlottetown owners Ron Matheson, Quentin Bevan, Hal Bevan, and Tom Clark.
Three-year-old pacing fillies completed their Atlantic Sires Stakes preliminaries with Scarlet Safari and Every Time earning victories in the fifth and final leg while the sophomore colts and geldings faced off in their fourth round.
Riding her winning momentum from last week's Lady Slipper Stakes, Scarlet Safari earned her first Sires Stakes victory of the season in a $10,520 'A' division for the fillies as she took the lead at the half-mile mark and drew off by three and three-quarters lengths. Driven by Marc Campbell for trainer Darryl MacLean and owner Gordon MacLean of Winsloe, P.E.I., the Articulator-Kona Queen filly was victorious in 1:58.1 over Southfield Sassy and Howmacfiesty.
Campbell and the MacLeans also teamed up to win the $2,500 'B' division with Scarlet Saphire, who took a new lifetime mark of 1:59.3.
The other 'A' division for the fillies was won by Every Time, who converted off a pocket trip to defeat the popular pacesetter West River Ambyr and Glory Jean. The lightly raced Camystic-Eternal Optimism filly matched Scarlet Safari's winning time of 1:58.1 while earning her second Sires Stakes victory with Corey MacPherson in the bike for trainer Eddy Doucette and his Kensington, P.E.I. co-owners Grant Mann, Gordon MacLeod, and Blaine Thibeau.
MacPherson also drove Dusty Lane Arby to victory in a $10,380 'A' division for the colts and geldings, overtaking the favoured front-runner Jackson K Down in the stretch, with Ic A Life Force finishing third. The Brandons Cowboy-Tara Artiste gelding won by three lengths in 1:58.3, picking up his second Sire Stakes victory for trainer Ronnie Gass and owners Dale Rennie and Ronnie Rennie of Elmsdale, P.E.I., and Shelley Gass of Cornwall, P.E.I.
MacPherson also scored with 'B' division winner Woodmere Terror in 1:58.2 for trainer Andrew MacLean and co-owner Julie MacPherson of Inverness, N.S.
Heart And Soul was another repeat winner among the 'A' colts in the Sires Stakes, for trainer/driver Clare MacDonald and owners Earith Riley and George Riley of Kensington, P.E.I. The Western Paradise-Mighty Sassy gelding swept to command after the opening quarter and kept K D Overdrive at bay en route to a two-length victory in 1:58 flat, with J J Jodster rallying for third.
The three-year-old pacing colts and geldings will wrap up their regular season on September 4 at Inverness Raceway before the top point-earners from the five preliminary legs in each division move on to the Atlantic Breeders Crown, set for October 9.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Northside Downs.