Red Shores at the Charlottetown Driving Park hosted the latest edition of the PEI Colt Stakes with a double-header on Saturday. It was a record-breaking afternoon for Heart And Soul.
Heart And Soul, owned by Earith and George Riley of Kensington, P.E.I., toured the legendary oval in a dazzling 1:55.3, setting a new track record for two-year-old colts and geldings. Trainer/driver Clare MacDonald sent the son Western Paradise, bred by Riley Farms, to the point and crushed fractions of :29.1, :57.2 and 1:26.2 before winning by an incredible 19-1/2 lengths. The time of the mile erased the former record of 1:56 set by Astronomical and Dr. Ian Moore in 2004.
K D Overdrive pushed his win streak to four for the Downey Stable. The colt was handled by Gilles Barrieau, who enjoyed a driving triple on the afternoon with victories aboard stakes star Jackson K Down and PL Faststrike.
Driver Corey MacPherson recorded a hat-trick aboard two stakes winners, Dixie Lullaby and Dustylanemissmolly. MacPherson also guided Mach Vegas to top honours for trainer Adam Merner.
The other divisional winners in the PEI Colt Stakes on the afternoon program were Howmac Fiesty (Danny Romo), Paradise Paradox (Bernard McCallum) and J K Cowboy (Ryan Perrot).
Evening Edition
“Welcome to Gilles Barrieau night,” boomed track announcer Vance Cameron when the New Brunswick driver crossed the finish line on top for an astonishing seventh time on the 14-dash program at Red Shores at the Charlottetown Driving Park. The card featured the PEI Colt Stakes for three-year-olds and the Atlantic Aged Mares Pacing Series.
Barrieau was in the bike when Dixieland Band torched the city track in a red hot 1:54.4 in his respective division over Proven Desire (Marc Campbell) and Goodmorningmister third. The colt is trained by Kevin MacLean for P.E.I. owners Reg MacPherson, David MacKenzie, and Aaron MacKenzie. The “Maritime Magic Man” also had his picture taken with the same connections when stable stars Pictonian Edge and Forever Paradise scored under the lights.
Barrieau, who has teamed up with MacQuarrie's Meats to raise money for the Upper Room Foodbank in the Drive for Charity promotion, was almost unstoppable, winning half of the scheduled races. His top assignments also included Ultimatelyhandsome, Braveheart De Vie in the MacPhee Memorial, General Luckypercy in a division of the Atlantic Aged Mares Pacing Series and Artners In Crime.
PEI Colt Stakes hardware was also presented to Elm Grove Joanette (Kenny Arsenault), Tobins Lady (Jason Hughes), Camco Titan (Corey MacPherson) and Dustylane Msvickie (Marc Campbell).
In other action, Rambinglily, under the command of Walter Cheverie, notched her seventh victory in a row in her leg of the Atlantic Aged Mares Pacing Series in 1:57.4 for trainer Allan Jones.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click on the following links: Saturday Afternoon / Saturday Evening.
(Red Shores)