Thursday's PEI Colt Stakes divisions at Charlottetown Driving Park were marred by tragedy as horseman Don Canning collapsed after driving Banana Split to a third place finish in his division.
Canning later passed in hospital.
Please join SC in offering condolences to the family and friends of Don Canning.
During that race, the first sophomore division, Demasiado Tequila romped to an eight length victory in 2:02.3 after being sent to the lead off the gate by owner, trainer and driver Ivan Jamieson of Wentworth, N.S. The win was his fifth of the year.
Seven more of the 11 PEI Colt Stakes divisions for two and three-year-old trotters were also won with front-end trips.
The fastest three-year-old winner was Absolam in 1:57.3 for trainer and driver Phil Pinkney. The
bay son of Largo-Dunachton Grace, who is owned by Caneast Standards Inc. of Berwick, N.S. picked up his seventh win of the season. Absolom set the pace with fractions of :29.3, 1:00 and 1:30 before sprinting home in :27.3 for the win by over four lengths.
Hushs Last Money (Henry Smallwood) was second and Accelerated Force (Gilles Barrieau) was third.
Ride The Lightning (Danny Romo) also used front-end tactics to win in 1:57.4 by three lengths for trainer and co-owner Walter Walker of Inverness, N.S. The Western Paradise gelding picked up his third seasonal score with the win.
Saulsbrook Balance (Kenneth Arsenault) triumphed in his division by 10 and a half lengths in wire-to-wire fashion. The son of Nikes Image who is trained and owned by Russell Newman of North Sydney, N.S. picked up his seventh seasonal win in a time of 2:03.3.
The Gilles Barrieau pupil Plea Bargain dominated his split with a 1:58.2 victory by three-quarters of a length. The son of Quick Comeback who is owned by Michael Blanchard of New Glasgow, N.S. and Barry Blanchard of Kars, N.B. visited the winner's circle for the fourth time this year.
Arsenault found himself in the spotlight again as he steered Riccarras Sun to a victory in 1:58.4. The Trevor Hicken trainee out of Allamerican Native picked up his ninth win of the season for Kenneth Mac Innis of Charlottetown, P.E.I.
Other sophomore winners include Super S Crosby (Kenneth MacDonald), who rallied from off the pace to score in 2:03.1 and Island Jazzystar (Marc Campbell), who coasted past the pacesetter Arrow Dynamic (Bernard McCallum) in the stretch for a 2:01 win by over two lengths.
Dunmore Chip opened the card with an easy victory during the first of three freshman divisions. With trainer and owner Ed Smallwood of Stratford, P.E.I. in the bike, the Black River gelding put on a one-man show as his fellow three competitors broke stride at the start of the race. The four-time winner trotted the mile in 2:12.1.
Muzzys Dumpling, a daughter of Black River, broke her maiden with a 2:07.1 wire-to-wire victory by almost 10 lengths in the second freshman division with trainer John Montgomery in the bike for owners the Muzzy Ridge Breeders of Mahone Bay, N.S.
Firedance Ridge rounded out the two-year-old divisions with his victory in 2:09 by a half length. The son of Forces Of Life recovered from a break at the start of the race to pot his fourth seasonal win for trainer John Arsenault and owner Donald Dunsford of Charlottetown, P.E.I.
To view the charted lines from Thursday, click here
(With files from Doug Harkness)