Complete Player became the fastest two-year-old in the history of Northside Downs courtesy of his 1:57 winning effort in the Atlantic Sires Stakes on Saturday afternoon (September 24).
Mark Bradley drove Complete Player to the record-setting victory in the final round of the Atlantic Sires Stakes leading up to the Atlantic Breeders Crown championships on October 9.
Complete Player carved out fractions of :28.2, :58 and 1:28.1 with Carters Caper parked out and divisional point-leader Nameisonthehalter following in the pocket. The Brandons Cowboy-Suddenly Susan colt then kicked away from his competition in the stretch with a :28.4 final frame to win by six lengths and set the two-year-old track record. Nameisonthehalter finished second and Dixie Flyer was third.
Complete Player's winning time shattered the prior two-year-old pacing colt track record of 1:58.1 held by Dixieland Band. It was also one-fifth of a second faster than the gelding mark held by Dumas Walker and Saulsbrook Alana's filly record in the two-year-old age group.
Complete Player earned his first victory in the Atlantic Sires Stakes and now has two wins, three seconds and one third from seven career starts for trainer Tom Weatherbie and owner David Kennedy of Charlottetown. The bay colt was a $12,500 Atlantic Classic Sale purchase as a yearling and has now earned back his price tag with his bankroll climbing to $13,451.
The other $9,460 'A' division for two-year-old pacing colts and geldings was won by the Trevor Hicken trainee Tobinator, who persisted on the lead to earn his third Sires Stakes victory in 1:59.1 with Corey MacPherson in the sulky. The Coastocoast Yankee-Southern Blue gelding is campaigned by P.E.I. owners Robin Burke of Ten Mile House, Luke Burke of Pleasant Grove, and Kent Livingston of Cornwall, along with Perry Burke of Grosse-Ile, Que. After turning back first over challenger Jigtime Jones, Tobinator held off the pocket-pulling Woodmere Soul by a quarter-length. Southsidelightning finished third.
Howmacs Dragonator (Articulator-Howmacs Dragon) broke his maiden in the $2,500 'B' division with a 2:02.3 victory in rein to Clare MacDonald for trainer Earl Watts and owner Debbie Denney of Mount Uniacke, N.S.
Elektra Express prevailed on the front-end in her $10,060 'A' division for fillies, winning by three lengths in 2:00 for trainer/driver Marc Campbell and owner/breeder Danica Ellis of Brookfield, N.S. The Western Paradise-Expressly Hanover filly, who is perfect in four Sires Stakes outings (six-for-seven overall), was followed by Goodmorning Ky and Darn Quick.
In the second filly division, Woodmere Finesse advanced from third to take over the lead from Filly Forty Seven at the third quarter mark en route to a 1:59.1 triumph. Filly Forty Seven was the runner-up, coming back on within a half-length of the winner at the wire, while Gold Record finished third. Woodmere Finesse was driven by Kenny Arsenault for trainer John Arsenault and owner Edward Maher of Lower Sackville, N.S. The Articulator-Woodmere Teardrop filly earned her first 'A' level victory in the Sires Stakes.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Northside Downs.