Old Home Week is here and so are the crowds. Fans packed into Red Shores' Charlottetown for the first harness racing card of Old Home Week 2014.
Teddys Place, in line to the recent 1,500-win man Mike Stevenson, managed to sneak up in the final strides to nail C L Eighty and Kenny Arsenault at the wire in the first feature of Old Home Week.
Teddys Place got away in the six-hole and followed the cover of second-place finisher C L Eighty who cleared fraction-setter Deuce Man past the three-quarters, flipping off his back at the head of the stretch to win by half a length in 1:58.3. Deuce Man laid down fractions of :28.2, :59 and 1:29.2. Talk Back rounded out the top three making it an Arsenault trainee one, two, three finish. Thane Arsenault owns Teddys Place and also trains him along with Talk Back, while Kenny trains C L Eighty.
The Alpine $3,000 Claiming Series also highlighted the Thursday night card. Lexis Mandy was parked every step for driver, trainer and co-owner Neil Bambrick and partner Shawn Baglole, winning the first fillies and mares division by a head in 2:00.3. New Brunswick shipper Hello America and trainer/driver Mike Downey won the second division in 1:58.3 by a head for owner Ellen Stevenson. The third division winner, Machintosh, was the only mare claimed on the opening night of the two leg series. She was on top at every call, taking a new lifetime mark of 1:58 for the Shepherd brothers, owner/trainer Patrick and driver Steven.
The streaking Inverness, N.S. invader, Cam Cool, found himself back in the winner's circle after taking the first division for horses and geldings by half a length in 1:57. James Copley trains for owners Ann Copley and Evan Gillis while Marc Campbell handled the driving duties. The second division went to another claimed horse, Ebandtheboys, in line to Kenny Murphy, rolled right down the road winning by a head in 1:57.2 for trainer Cliff Murphy and owner Clark Smith.
Jason Hughes picked up a driving and training double on the card, extending his lead in both categories at Red Shores' Charlottetown. He kicked off the first race of Old Home Week with Rocks Confession in 2:03.1 and followed it up with Blue Star Outlaw in 2:00.
Racing returns to Red Shores' Charlottetown tomorrow night at 7 p.m.
To view Thursday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Thursday Results - Charlottetown Driving Park.
(With files from Red Shores)