The Nova Scotia Stake Series kicks off its 2009 season at two Cape Breton racetracks this weekend
with Northside Downs in North Sydney hosting two $6,975 divisions of two-year-old pacing colts on Saturday and Inverness Raceway staging a $13,300 single division for three-year-old pacing colts on its Sunday afternoon program.
Sponsored by the Nova Scotia Harness Racing Industry Association, the series is open for Nova Scotia-foaled pacers and trotters.
At Northside Downs, T M Top Gun, a stakes winning son of Western Paradise has been installed as the 5-2 favourite for Darren Crowe in the first six-horse division of two-year-old colts while Allbentouttashape drew the rail in the other division for the Dooley Boys Racing Stable of Halifax. Allbentouttashape, a son of Quick Comeback, is the early season divisional leader in the Atlantic Sires Stakes. He will face stakes winners Putnams Force and Artizone in his division.
At Inverness Raceway, Race Secretary Donnie MacLellan has carded the three-year-old colt pace as Race 8 on a 13-dash program. Eight starters answered the call for what will be the richest race of the season at the Cape Breton half-miler.
War Dancer, a son of Western Paradise who has won seven of nine races this year for Boyd MacDonald Produce, Daniel Ross and Charles Seymour, is the morning line favourite with Mike Stevenson handling the driving chores.
Armbro Angora, an aged pacer owned by Ray Deagle, drew the rail in the $2,000 Christine E. Deagle Memorial, which drew five starters, including Cruisinart, a runner-up to Outlawpositivcharg in the Northside Downs Invitational on July 25.
(Atlantic Post Calls)