Lady Cafe Au Lait streaked to her 15th consecutive victory in a $9,000 Aged Pacing Mares Series division on Thursday, Sept. 24 at Charlottetown Driving Park, during the same card that Corey MacPherson earned his 2,000th career driving win.
Lady Cafe Au Lait was once again untouchable in the second Aged Pacing Mares Series split for driver Marc Campbell and trainer Earl Watts. Campbell sent the four-year-old daughter of Big Jim-Lady Latte directly to the front, and she controlled fractions of :27.4, :58 and 1:26.4 before sprinting home in :26.4 to win by six lengths in 1:53.3. Sugar Bowl (MacPherson) was second with Cc Rockin Rosie (Adam Merner) third.
The victory was the 15th consecutive trip to the winner's circle for Lady Cafe Au Lait, who is owned by Windemere Farms of Springvale, P.E.I. along with Matt and David Burke of Stratford, P.E.I. She is undefeated in 13 starts on P.E.I. and 17-for-20 this season. Thursday's win was her 24th lifetime in 57 starts and brought her earnings to $290,177. She paid $2.10 to win.
MacPherson reached a major milestone as Go Onna ($5) delivered career driving victory number 2,000 for the Cornwall, P.E.I. reinsman. After winning with Hosskat ($14.20) in 1:56 for Len Myers earlier on the program to reach 1,999, he guided the Brad Smith-trained Go Onna to victory in the seventh race, winning in 1:59.1 to give the pacer her first lifetime victory while simultaneously putting himself into the 2,000-win club.
MacPherson made his pari-mutuel driving debut in 2009 and recorded his first 100-plus-win season in 2015. He has reached triple digits in each of the last seven years and set a career high in earnings last year with $945,001. MacPherson, the defending leading driver at Summerside Raceway and 2023 PEISHOA Horseman of the Year, now has $6.4 million in career earnings from 12,149 starts.
The other $9,000 Aged Pacing Mares Series division went to Brokeandoutofgas ($11.80) to triple up driver Gilles Barrieau in 1:54 for trainer-owner Tammy Collings of Hazel Brook, P.E.I. After racing fifth through :28.1, :56.3 and 1:25.1 fractions, she followed cover into the last turn and rallied down the outside to nab Rosetown Mary (MacPherson) by a head. Badgirl Bridgette (Jason Hughes) was third. The winning five-year-old daughter of Arthur Blue Chip-Onehotvett tallied her sixth victory of the year in 24 starts and moved her career record to 22-for-85 with $77,143 in earnings.
Fight Song ($3.90) controlled the $6,050 Open Trot for driver Jason Hughes and trainer Ashley Gamester, winning in 1:55.3 for owner Donald MacRae of Vernon Bridge, P.E.I. He reached up to take control from Flemsteen (Ken Murphy) going to the first station in :28.3, then trotted middle fractions of :57.4 and 1:26.3 and kept the rest at bay through the stretch for a 1-1/2-length victory. Flemsteen took second with Bless Me Father (Barrieau) third. Buckhead Ridge finished fourth, marking the first time he was out of the triactor in 15 seasonal starts.
Fight Song scored his fifth win of the year in 15 starts and has won three of his last four against the Island's top trotters. The seven-year-old Kadabra-Fortunes Of Fables gelding is now 38-for-146 lifetime with $280,073 in career bankroll.
Windemere Saddy went gate-to-wire to take the $5,000 Fillies and Mares Preferred 3 Pace in 1:55 with Ken Murphy in the bike for trainer Saul Lanigan. The five-year-old daughter of Malicious-Hart Of Windemere rattled off :28.1, :59.3 and 1:27.1 panels and held off Oneformybaby (Adam Merner) by a length for her first win of the year in 14 outings. Promise Me Later (Barrieau) completed the top three. Windemere Saddy, owned by Shane Esson of Moncton, N.B., Lanigan of Cambridge, P.E.I., Darcy Doyle of Moncton and Isaac Schurman of Kensington, P.E.I., is now 19-for-75 lifetime with earnings of $96,503. She returned $2.70 at the windows.
The other parts of the Barrieau triple were Sheilas Brush ($22.80), scoring in 1:56.4 for trainer Nicholas Oakes in the first race for owner Milton Young of Paradise, N.L., and Mile Hill Waylon ($24.50), who followed with another upset for Barrieau in the second, winning the trot in 2:03 for trainer Paul Morrison and owners John and Barbara Breau of Shediac Cape, N.B.
Trainer Landon Campbell doubled on the program as Rina Labelle ($2.70) captured the fourth race in 1:57.4 and Tarariser This ($3) wired the ninth race in 1:57.2, both with Marc Campbell in the seat to triple the Orwell, P.E.I. driver.
Live racing continues on Saturday at 6 p.m. at Red Shores Charlottetown.
To view Thursday's harness racing results, click the following link: Thursday Results - Charlottetown Driving Park.
(With files from Red Shores)