The inaugural Meridian Trotting Series for aged mares featured a pair of $2,525 divisions as part of its first leg with Napanee Seelster, owned in part by Meridian Farms’ Bill Andrew, scoring in her split on Saturday at Red Shores at Charlottetown Driving Park
. The series, sponsored by Standardbred Canada and Meridian Farms, is for Canadian sired and/or 100 per cent Canadian owned mares.
Napanee Seelster romped to a 2:01.2 victory with her nearest rival trailing six and three-quarter lengths behind. Odds-on favourite Flashy Image (Gary Chappell) came in second with Dusty Lane Shelby (Corey MacPherson) third.
Sent postward as the longest shot on the board, the daughter of Angus Hall-Northern Kiss returned $15.90 to win for her backers. Andrew shares ownership of the five-year-old mare with trainer-driver Daniel MacDonald and Philip Pitts.
Favourite Diana Car and driver Kenny Arsenault left from the outside Post 6 and went down the road to win the first division in 2:02.3 with Warrawee Jade recovering from an early miscue and finishing two and a half lengths behind in second for Meridian’s Blake and Brian Andrew. Katies Victory (Ken Murphy) was third.
Diana Car paid $3.80 to win. The five-year-old daughter of Pistols N Spurs-Dias Car is trained by Marc Campbell for owners Michael Bailey and Ambrose Laybolt of Morell, P.E.I.
The second leg of the series will be held on Saturday, August 13 with the $2,700 (added) final slated for the following Saturday, August 20.
The Spud Island Classic Series for aged pacing mares also began on Saturday with Grace And Harv and J K Special winning a pair of $2,500 divisions.
Grace And Harv and Mike Stevenson rebuffed a challenge from Totally Priceless (Mark Bradley) near three-quarters and pulled away to score for the first time this year in 1:57.1 by two lengths. Totally Priceless settled for second with Troxel Hanover (Kenny Arsenault) rounding out the top three.
The seven-year-old daughter of Dexter Nukes-Armbro Brio is trained by Wayne Bell for owners Wayne MacRae of Fall River, N.S. and Howmac Farms Ltd. of North Wiltshire, P.E.I. She paid $3.60 to win.
J K Special and Walter Cheverie battled on the front end with favourite Onehotvett (Stevenson), but eventually pulled away to win in 1:57 by one and a quarter length. General Luckypercy (Ron Matheson) was third.
Joseph Smallwood owns, trains and bred the six-year-old daughter of Cammibest-J K Beauty, who paid $8.30 to win.
Earlier today in qualifying action, Zip The Lip and driver Brian MacPhee lowered the three-year-old track record for male trotters with his 2:00.3 triumph. The Ken Warkentin-Wont She Tell colt lowered the record, held by Country Line Duper (2003) and Rustico Red River (2005), by one-fifth of a second as he powered away from the field to score by 23 lengths. Donald Sweet trains the winner of three races in six starts for Melvin Willis of Cambridge, Ont.
For results from Saturday’s harness racing card, click on the following link: Saturday Results – Charlottetown Driving Park.