Exhibition Park Raceway hosted a card stacked with a series of stakes events on Saturday including Atlantic Sires Stakes for three-year-old pacing colts, the Atlantic National Exhibition Invitational and the Maritimer Stake.
The first of the two $12,720 ATSS "A" divisions for three-year-old pacing colts offered fans a decent payout with longshot Kaptain N Keiths posting a 30-1 upset.
Kaptain N Keiths and driver Redmond Doucet who trains and owns got away fifth as Accelerated Force (Gilles Barrieau) took command of the field through panels of :29.4 and :59. Kaptain N Keiths charged to the lead passing the third quarter mark in 1:28.1 and held off the early pacesetter by a quarter length for the win in 1:58.
Accelerated Force was placed third for pylon violations handing the runner-up position to Absolom (Phil Pinkney).
In the second "A" division, Plea Bargain and Gilles Barrieau sat in sixth position as Designer Towel (Brian MacPhee) posted the first quarter in :29.4. After breaking stride, Ride The Lightning (Danny Romo) took over to the :58.3 half, but Plea Bargain pulled ahead at the 1:28.4 third quarter mark. With a :29.3 final quarter effort, Plea Bargain picked up the win in 1:58.2, a half length in front of Ride The Lightning. Island Jazzystar (Marc Campbell) was third.
The Quick Comeback gelding is trained by Barrieau for Michael Blanchard of New Glasgow, N.S. and Barry Blanchard of Kars, N.B.
In the first of two $2,500 ATSS "B" divisions for three-year-old colts and geldings T M Mohawk and Barrieau picked up an easy win by over nine lengths in wire-to-wire fashion with a 2:01.1 clocking. The Western Paradise colt is trained by Wade Sorrie for Walter Simmons of Summerside and Austin Sorrie of Montague, P.E.I.
In the second "B" division, Ridicarus and driver Danny Romo recovered from a break in the stretch to come on and win by a nose in 2:00.3 ahead of P H Catman (Todd Trites). The Justice Denied gelding is trained by Duane MacEachern for owners Joanne Davies of Saint John, N.B. and Darla MacEachern of Summerside, P.E.I.
EPR also hosted the $8,000 Atlantic National Exhibition Invitational, and Gold Cup & Saucer winner Pownal Bay Matt took top honours with his 1:55.3 effort.
Trained and driven by Earl Smith, the five-year-old son of Matts Scooter boosted his bankroll to $217,825 with his third win of the season for Ian Smith of Charlottetown, P.E.I.
Pownal Bay Matt found the front after Lakota Hall (Walter Cheverie) posted a :28.3 opening quarter. He led the field through fractions of :57.1 and 1:27.1 before sprinting home in :28.2 for the win.
During the afternoon card, For The Luv Abunny worked out a pair of similar winning trips in the $13,636 Maritimer Stake Final and her elimination.
In rein to Brian MacPhee, For The Luv Abunny took to the front posting a :28.3 first quarter, but just like in their elimination, Emily J Down (Danny Romo) advanced to the lead through fractions of :58.3 and 1:28.4. In a :30.3 final quarter, For The Luv Abunny sprinted home, winning in 1:59.3 by three and a half lengths.
Elimination winner Outrageous Storm (Marc Campbell) came on for second, while Emily J Down faded to third. The other elim victor, Tobins Paradise (Todd Trites), was fourth.
For The Luv Abunny is a five-time winner with almost $30,000 in the bank for owner Jody Campbell of Sydney Mines, N.S. The three-year-old Western Paradise filly is trained by Dale Pinkney.
To view the charted lines from Saturday, click here.