Pacing filly Malabrigo stole the show once again on Saturday as she kept her sophomore record perfect in 13 stakes starts during Charlottetown Driving Park's double-header of PEI Colt Stakes.
Leaving from post four in her $5,400 evening division with trainer-driver Marc Campbell in tow, Malabrigo cruised through panels of :29.3, :59.3, and 1:30.1 en route to a six and a quarter length victory in 1:59.1. Bettim Theresa and Shes Astronomical finished second and third, respectively.
The Western Paradise-Lots Abunny filly, now a 20-time career winner with $113,655 earned in purses, is owned by Buntainwood Farm of Brackley Beach, P.E.I.
Campbell also picked up three more stakes trophies earlier in the day with two-year-old fillies Western Judy (Articulator-West Wishes) in 2:01.3 and Ramblinglily (Articulator-Crafty Jewel) in 2:00 for trainer Allan Jones, and two-year-old gelding Forever Paradise (Western Paradise-Mariart) in 1:58.2 for trainer Kevin MacLean.
Gilles Barrieau was the biggest winner of the day as he reined home five stakes champions, including the fastest performer First Art Down. The three-year-old Articulator-Khadiva Hanover gelding left from post two in his $6,500 division and carved out fractions of :29.1, :57.4, and 1:26.4 before extending his leading margin to more than seven lengths by the time he reached the wire in a personal best 1:54.4. Mr Thompson and This Bird Will Fly rounded out the top three finishers. Jackie Matheson trains the speedster for Charlottetown's Bruce Wood.
Barrieau's own sophomore filly trainees Ruby Vance and A As Glory were also victorious. Rudy Vance wired her foes in a career-best 1:58.3 for owner-breeder Wayne MacRae of Fall River, N.S. while A As Glory, owned and bred by Andrew Ward of Saint John, N.B., front-stepped her way to a 1:59.1 score.
Barrieu also earned back-to-back wins during the afternoon card with two-year-old filly Dont Tell Cindy (Tell All-Theresa Hall) in 1:58.1 for trainer Earl Watts and two-year-old gelding Pownal Bay Mustang (No Pan Intended-Musical Cam) in 2:00.2 to give MacLean a stakes double. 'Cindy' is owned by Thomas McGuffog of Hanwell, N.B and Geoffrey MacNeish of Douglas, N.B. while Pownal Bay Mustang is owned by breeder F. Ian Smith of Charlottetown and Reginald MacPherson of Stratford, P.E.I.
Driver Mike Stevenson and trainer Wade Sorrie doubled up with three-year-old pacing fillies April Dawns Star, who converted from the pocket to win a division in 1:58.2 for local owner Michael Collings, and Pictonian Amanda, who recovered from an early miscue to prevail in 2:00.1 for P.E.I. owners Daniel Ross of Belfast and Bill Bell of Belle River.
Clare MacDonald also had two winners beginning with her homebred two-year-old filly West River Xtra (Western Paradise-West River Isobel), who converted from the pocket to win by more than four lengths in 2:00.3. MacDonald also won a division with freshman colt Scamp Finesse (Western Paradise-Happys Imp) in wire-to-wire fashion. The 1:57.3 victory was his third in a row and fastest yet. MacDonald co-owns the colt with Morah Kerr of Greenfield, N.S. and Phonsie MacEachern of Port Hood, N.S.
Danny Romo also picked up two stakes trophies as his trainee The Rev (Western Paradise-Red Sea) front-stepped his way to a 1:58.1 score in a freshman colt division. Romo was in the bike for Nova Scotia owners Robert Skinner and Stephen Tufts of Truro, Jeffrey Skinner of Hammonds Plain and the GLB Stable of Lakeview. He also drove frosh filly Kaitlins Kowgirl (Brandons Cowboy-Waterside Evy), trained and owned by Myles Heffernan of Glace Bay, N.S., to a seven and a half length triumph in 2:01.4.
Hilliard Graves' homebred Watersides Kipper (Yankee Leader-Kickin In), driven by his owner and trained by Kenny Arsenault, prevailed by half a length over Paraprosdokian in another two-year-old colt division, clocked in 1:58.1.
Three-year-old colts R Es Art, Touch Of Lightning and Putnams Storm were also PEI Colt Stakes winners. Touch Of Lightning romped to his fifth straight win in 1:57 for trainer-driver Earl Smith. The streaking colt is owned by Islanders Peter Smith of Charlottetown, Donald Smith of Pownal, Gerald Morrissey of Vernon Bridge and Larry Chappell of Marshfield. Jason Hughes drove the Jamie Smith-trained R Es Art to a 1:56.3 score for Charlottetown's Somewhat Stable and Todd Trites sent Michelle MacKay trainee Putnams Storm down the road to win his division in a career-best 1:57 for owner Wesley Patriquin of Debert, N.S.
This week's Preferred was won by Hughes and Frank Dettore Horse Racin's millionaire pacer Eagle Luck in 1:56.2.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click on the following links:
Saturday (Afternoon) / Saturday (Evening)