The Gold Cup race week schedule is the headliner, but this weekend of racing at the Charlottetown Driving Park Entertainment Centre has earned the title of the one of the best opening acts of the season
. The live race presentations will be staged Saturday with post time at 7 p.m. and Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. featuring the Spud Island Classic eliminations sponsored by the PEI Potato Board.
In the $1.5 million Hambletonian, Muscle Hill, trained by N.S. native Greg Peck is one of the favourites while N.S. driver Jody Jamieson will drive Federal Flex in the rich event. Players can also bet on Shadow Play in the $320,000 US pacing Derby. The action gets underway at 1 p.m. in the simulcast theatre live from the Meadowlands Racetrack in New Jersey.
Mighty And Strong, owned by Patrick Morris of Charlottetown and driven by Ron Matheson, is the co-favourite in the Saturday night feature event. He’ll take on a power packed field of contenders that include Pans O Silver and driver Brian MacPhee. Both horses will leave from outside posts touching off some hot early fractions. That could set up a trip for horses like Teddys Place, trained by Thane Arsenault, Electric Moves from the Paul Holmes stable and Victory Creed for driver Brian Andrew and owner Bill Andrew of Calgary, Alta. Watch for Chelemark Adois, Yankee Sun and Whos Smiling Now.
Busters Brother, a two year-old Western Success colt owned by Dan MacIsaac of Charlottetown, is favoured to win the MacPhail Clan pace in the fifth while P H Super Dave is the top choice in the Home Hardware Building Centre Stratford pace in the seventh.
Sunday features the Spud Island Classic with two eliminations heats on the program. Princess Julia, owned by last year’s winning Gold Cup owner Ian Smith of Charlottetown, is listed as the morning line favourite in the first heat while Timeless Hanover, trained by Ralph Frizzell, gets top billing in the second heat.
The afternoon features a potato bake on the tarmac, prize giveaways and mascots.
(Harness Racing PEI)