With an electrifying stretch drive that set Prince Edward Island abuzz, Pownal Bay Matt and trainer-driver Earl Smith upset the field and captured this year's $60,000 Gold Cup & Saucer at Charlottetown Driving Park Entertainment Centre.
Country Estate (Paul MacKenzie) and Mach It Paid (J.R. Plante) traded places on the lead early, with Plante leading the field with Mach It Paid through a :27.1 opening panel and a :56.1 half. Carl Jamieson had Banner Yankee out and on the move at the half-mile station to challenge the pacesetter.
As the field bunched up down the backstretch for the second and final time, Smith took Pownal Bay Matt three-wide around the final bend and with the pacers stacked up three-deep and grouped tightly together announcer Vance Cameron declared this "the greatest Gold Cup & Saucer ever!"
With a :28.2 closer, 19-1 longshot Pownal Bay Matt had the late kick needed to hit the wire first in a dramatic stretch duel, tripping the timer in 1:53.4. Marymatt Hanover (Robert Shepherd), another rank outsider on the toteboard, rode the winner's cover into a second place finish nosing out Banner Yankee.
Ian Smith of Charlottetown owns Pownal Bay Matt (Matts Scooter - Take Its Sister), who has now posted two major stakes upsets. In 2006, Pownal Bay Matt was the 32-1 upset winner of the stake event named after his sire, the Matts Scooter at the Meadowlands.
Among the supporting cast of races for the Gold Cup & Saucer Card were numerous stakes races.
Bradelle (Largo - Ta Jomar) and driver Gary Chappell came first up in the $8,100 Alpine Claiming Series Final for Fillies & Mares and cruised to a near five-length victory for trainer-owner Brad Smith of Charlottetown, PEI.
Favoured Caras Allamerican and driver Mark Haig played catch-me-if-you-can en route to victory in the $8,600 Alpine Claiming Series Final for Horses & Geldings, leading all the way and winning in 1:59.1 for owner and trainer Earl Fram of Saint John, N.B.
PEI native Anthony MacDonald stayed on the Island an extra day and was rewarded with a 1:55.3 win in the $16,850 Joe O'Brien Memorial Stakes aboard Island Jazzystar, a Force Of Life colt he recently purchased with brother James and fellow trainer James "Friday" Dean.
The Jim Shive-owned and Trevin Shive-trained My Fine Lady and driver Todd Trites used the passing lane to full advantage, sitting the pocket throughout the mile before darting up the inside to capture the $9,250 Spud Island Classic Final for pacing mares in 1:56.4.
For the lines from Charlottetown's Gold Cup & Saucer program, click here.