Fresh off a win in last week’s Open Trot at Charlottetown Driving Park, Saulsbrook Balance returned to victory lane on Saturday night with a front-end score in the $1,400 feature trot
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Willie Murphy guided the son of Nikes Image-Animated Lady, who left from post position No. 4, through panels of :29.4, 1:01.3 and 1:32. Pick Up Point (Ken Arsenault) journey first-over with broken equipment, but broke stride at the three-quarter marker while approaching the leader. Saulsbrook Balance trotted on and used a :29.1 final quarter to seal the deal. The four-year-old gelding stopped the clock in 2:01.1 winning by three-quarters of a length over the pocket-sitting Dunmore Alpha (Edward Smallwood) and third-place finisher Players Champion (Ronnie Gass).
Trained and owned by Cynthia MacDonald along with Tanya MacKinnon of Souris, P.E.I., Saulsbrook Balance notched his sixth win in 24 starts this year. The bay’s 22nd lifetime win bumped his bankroll to $61,484.
The C.K.G. Billings Amateur Driving Series rolled into the Maritime provinces on Saturday with a pair of Billings contests taking place at the Charlottetown half-miler.
Sherwin “Smiley” Edwards won the first event, Race 4, with Title Page Hanover for trainer Mike Gallant, who shares ownerships with local resident Mike Hughes. The veteran gelding front-stepped his way to a 2:01.1 score turning back a challenge from Sis Ryan and Steve “You’re Never Too” Oldford at the half. The son of Ball And Chain-Talia Hanover kicked away by three and a quarter lengths in the stretch for his second win in 17 seasonal starts. Sis Ryan stayed for second and Lisbonne and Tony “the Capo” Verruso finished third.
Crossridge Income was a wire-to-wire winner in the second Billings event, Race 6, with Todd ‘the Downeaster” Whitney in tow. The nine-year-old Albert Albert-Tarport Beaut mare won by a length and a half in 2:00 over Lincolns Legacy, driven by Oldford, and Holy Moly Man and Dave “King Kong” Kingstom. Keith Ford owns and trains the winner of five races in 24 ’09 starts.
The Billings Series will move to Summerside Raceway next on Sunday for Races 3 and 5.
The evening was marred by an accident, which occured in the fifth race between the Billings Series action. Lyndale Miss Fit and Terry Affleck fell to the racetrack when the field was approaching the backstretch. Oceanview Bonnie and Walter Cheverie and Coco Rose, in line to Jeff Lilley, couldn’t avoid the fallen horse and were also thrown to the track.
Drivers Walter Cheverie and Terry Affleck were transported to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital for medical treatment while Lilley walked away from the spill. Cheverie and Affleck were both conscious and talking to medical personal. Oceanview Bonnie and Coco Rose suffered cuts and scraps. Lyndale Miss Fit, who got loose after the mishap, needed further attention to by track vets.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click here.
(With files from Harness Racing PEI)