Basho and driver Adam Merner will look to kick off 10 days of world class harness racing on a winning note as the morning line favourites in the Thursday, Aug. 7 opener at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park.
The Charlottetown oval will host 12 dashes on Thursday starting at 6 p.m. (ADT), with Basho the top selection in the Gary Smith Memorial in race one. Red Shores Charlottetown will host live racing every day except for Sunday, Aug. 10 leading up to the $100,000 Gold Cup and Saucer, presented by Atlantic Lottery, that will end Old Home Week 2025 on Saturday Aug. 16.
Thursday's $3,250 opening dash for two-year-old pacers has the Merner-driven Basho looking to build off her 1:58.2 victory last time out for co-owner and trainer David O’Brien and fellow owners Cam and Gordon MacPhee. The rookie daughter of Captain Crunch out of PJs Legacy has post six in the field of seven.
Cant Catch Pepper, to be driven by Gilles Barrieau, is a top play from post four from the Tom Weatherbie barn. Doug MacPhee's homebred daughter of Big Jim-Ladysai is seeking her first lifetime win as she looks to follow in the hoofprints of her full sister, O’Brien Award-winning pacing mare So Much More.
The fourth race is the Drew Power Memorial Trot. Glider Man gets the top call in the $3,600 conditioned event from the outside post sox for owner/trainer Jennifer Doyle with David Dowling in the driver’s seat. His chief rivals include sophomore trotting star Supreme Rockette (Barrieau) from post two and Ripped And Ready (Brett Clow) from post four.
The Enid Morrison Memorial is race five with Sagali looking for the lion’s share of the $2,800 purse in the distaff conditioned pace from post four with Corey MacPherson aboard for trainer Phil Kelly and owner The Sagali Six Stable. The eight-year-old Shanghai Phil-Dream Cambination mare was a winner in 1:58.3 in her latest. She goes up against seven other pacers including Skip Across (Jason Hughes) and Topville Angelina (Barrieau).
Twin B Solitaire gets the top call from post five for trainer/driver Steven Murphy in the Benevolent Irish Society 200th Anniversary Pace in race six, another fillies and mares conditioned event, with a purse of $2,500. Amanda and Barry MacTavish share ownership of the four-year-old Betting Line-Solitary mare, who will take on the likes of Smilin In Heaven (Gary Chappell) and Heatherspet (MacPherson).
The $3,700 Doane Grant Thornton Pace in race eight for conditioned fillies and mares will have Real Smokeshow and JAcob Hughes trying to deliver from post three for trainer Ashley Gamester and owner Donald MacRae.
The ninth race is the $3,050 Keith Duke MacCallum Memorial, another distaff conditioned pacing event. Shake N Blake and David Dowling are the early favourites for owner/trainer Jennifer Doyle, fresh off a win in 1:57.2.
Wager online at HPIbet.com and visit redshores.ca for the Race Day broadcast, programs and live video streaming.
To view Thursday's harness racing entries, click the following link: Thursday Entries - Charlottetown Driving Park.
(Red Shores)