The trotting stars of the Atlantic Sires Stakes will line up at Red Shores Summerside Raceway on Tuesday, Sept. 23 with divisional bragging rights and $52,760 in purse money on the line.
The Prince County oval will present a 15-dash program starting at 6 p.m. (ADT), featuring the sophomore and rookie trotters.
The opening $13,000 three-year-old split goes in race three and Oceanview Nikki, trained an driven by Mike McGuigan, will leave from post three as the 5-2 morning line favourite for owners Blue Diamond Racing, Josh MacDonald and Gordon Coles. The E L Rocket-King Kong Kate filly has rattled off four straight victories and is proving to be the sharpest three-year-old trotter on the East Coast heading into the stretch run of the season. Other contenders include Fire The Rocket, who has post four for driver Jason Hughes and trainer Ashley Gamester, with Marcus Down Ridge and trainer/driver Clare MacDonald off the rail.
The program’s other Atlantic Sires Stakes three-year-old trotting division lines up in race 12 with $13,000 at stake. West River Jet has been ultra-consistent for driver Ken MacDonald and trainer Clare MacDonald and carries morning line favourite billing at 5-2 from post one. The E L Rocket-Kaddys Angel gelding has not missed the top three this season for owner Haley MacDonald. Supreme Rockette, trained and driven by McGuigan, will start from post five and looms as another top contender after finishing second in her last appearance, while the Leonard Myers-trained Dusty Lane Gus and driver Adam Merner will look to upset the apple cart from post four.
Two-year-old colts and fillies will have their chance to shine in a pair of $13,380 divisions. Race six is led by the E L Rocket-Glidetown filly Bonmati, who has finished third in all six of her career starts and will leave from the rail for with Corey MacPherson driving for trainer Kuri White and owner Blayne White. Trainer Bill Lanigan's homebred Roseys EL Girl is fresh off a big performance in the P.E.I. Colt Stakes finishing second and will start from post two with Ken Murphy listed to drive, while John Clarey trainee Emberlees Rocket and driver Marc Campbell have drawn post six.
The other rookie division in race nine has the red-hot Little Louis, who will start in post four after winning six straight for trainer Kuri White and owner East Coast Captains. With Corey MacPherson driving, the E L Rocket-Go With Her gelding will look for his seventh straight victory when he faces the likes of Team MacDonald's West River Karuna from post six and the McGuigan-trained and reined Hoponarocket from post seven.
The stacked Tuesday evening program also includes a number of overnight tilts, including a $4,300 conditioned pace in race 14, alongside the Atlantic Sires Stakes action.
To view Tuesday's harness racing entries, click the following link: Tuesday Entries - Summerside Raceway.
(With files from Red Shores; photo of Little Louis from a previous win)