A special Sunday afternoon, Sept. 22 program featured 13 dashes of the Atlantic Sires Stakes with West River Jet and Supreme Rockette rewriting the history books at Red Shores at the Summerside Raceway.
West River Jet (pictured above) became the fastest two-year-old trotter in Summerside history with driver Kenneth MacDonald in the bike. The Clare MacDonald-trained gelded son of E L Rocket went first-up to nose out Dust Lane Gus (Marc Campbell) in 2:01 in a $12,520 Atlantic Sires Stakes division for two-year-old trotters.
The clocking lowered the mark of 2:01.1 established by Buckaroo in 2017.
The E L Rocket filly Supreme Rockette was unchallenged in her $12,520 Atlantic Sires Stakes two-year-old trot division as she marched to a 2:01.3 track record for rookie trotting fillies. Mike McGuigan trains and drives for owner Jamie Whalen of Avondale, P.E.I.
The mile eclipsed the former 2:01.4 record held by Dusty Lane Wee.
The $12,280 three-year-old trot divisions were won by E L Rocket sons Gettin Lit in 2:00.2 for trainer/driver McGuigan and owner Whalen as well as Rocket Blast (Corey MacPherson) in 2:01.2 for owner/trainer Carl Bagnall of Stratford, P.E.I.
In other action, Badgirl Bridgette won her fourth straight in a $17,600 Atlantic Sires Stakes A division for two-year-old pacing fillies. William Lanigan of Montague, P.E.I. owns and trains the daughter of Stonebridge Terror while Jason Hughes handled the driving duties in the 1:56.4 mile.
Howmac Maleficent (Ken Murphy) provided a mild upset at 5-1 in the other $17,600 Atlantic Sires Stakes A division in 1:59 for trainer Joe Baxter and owner Peter Garnet Gilby of Lantz, N.S.
The $6,000 Atlantic Sires Stakes B divisions for rookie fillies were won by Mindbodyandsoul (Gilles Barrieau) in 1:59.3 for trainer Earl Watts, Lady Llamrei for trainer/driver Adam Merner in 2:00 and Lorne Valley Liv (Myles Heffernan Sr.) in 2:00.4 for trainer Myles Heffernan Jr.
Malevolent (Paul Langille) scored in a $19,880 Atlantic Sires Stakes A division for two-year-old pacing colts for Nova Scotia-based owners Debbie Francis and Rosanne Langille. The time of the mile was 1:56.4.
In the other $19,880 A division for rookie pacers, Rosetown Eclipse (MacPherson) landed on top in 1:57.4 at 11-1 odds for owners Jim Gorman of South Melville, P.E.I., Rosetown Stable of Stratford, P.E.I., and Mike Gorman of Corner Brook, Nfld.
The $6,000 two-year-old pacing colts B divisions were claimed by Starship Slx (David Dowling) in 1:59.3 for trainer Watts and Chromed Up (Dowling) in 2:00.3 from the Chris MacKay barn.
Live harness racing continues on Tuesday evening at 6 p.m. at Red Shores Summerside.
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click the following link: Sunday Results - Summerside Raceway.
(With files from Red Shores)