Three-year-old colts and fillies shared the spotlight at Truro Raceway on Friday (June 21) as the Nova Scotia half-mile oval hosted the Carl and Marg MacKenzie Memorial Stakes.
In the first of two $7,467 colt divisions, Red Dirt Rocknroll toured the rain-soaked Truro oval in 1:58.1 with no one coming close as he took off by six lengths. A Grand Terror followed back in second and J Ks Boy completed the top three finish order.
David Dowling drove the Articulator-Oduya gelding, who notched his second (consecutive) win from five sophomore starts, for trainer Leonard Meyers and co-owner Jack Quinn of Charlottetown.
Notorious turned the tables on last weekend's Maritime Breeders Stakes champion Red Dirt Boomer, beating him this time out in another close call. Trained and driven by Marc Campbell, the Malicious-Caru Hanover gelding rebuffed the challenge from eventual third-place finisher Mrs Browns Boy and held off pocket-sitter Red Dirt Boomer, who closed inside missing by a quarter-length in the 1:58.3 mile.
Notorious now has three wins and a pair of runner-up finishes from five starts in Maritime stakes action this year. He is owned by Darryl and Gord MacLean of Winsloe, P.E.I., and Shirley Symes of Springhill, N.S.
With Dale Spence in the bike, Elm Grove Nellie rallied three-wide from the outer flow at the third-quarter mark to take the lead in the first $7,842 filly division. She then paced away down the stretch to win by 2-1/2 lengths over early trailer Woodmere Rio in a career-best clocking of 1:58.3 while mid-race leader Gentle Warrior settled for third.
Winner of her Maritime Breeders elim but never in contention during the final, the Stonebridge Terror-Emberlee filly rebounded here for trainer Joseph Baxter. The win was her second in five seasonal starts. She is owned by Jennifer Baxter of Falmouth, N.S., and Gregory Francis of Windsor, N.S.
With the rain downgrading the track conditions for the final filly division, Maritime Breeders Stakes champion Arc Light and driver Gilles Barrieau swept to command from mid-pack at the half-mile mark. The daughter of Camystic and Red Star Ashlee turned back a challenge from Woodmere Tango then held off the passing lane plunge of Howmacs Sabrina to close out the two-minute mile a half-length in front. Ma Rebelle finished a length behind in third for trainer/driver Marc Campbell, who also conditions the winning filly owned by Grayland Farm of Pugwash, N.S.
Arc Light now boasts a four-for-seven seasonal record.
Trainer George Rennison capped off a training grand slam on the 12-race card with the Truro newcomer Larjon Lachlan (Campbell) and stablemate Global Seelster (Barrieau) sweeping the top two spots in the weekly $1,675 Winners Over Pace. Hubtown Horse Owners Club owns the winning mare, who clocked the mile in 1:59.2. Stature Seelster completed an Artistic Fella-sired triactor.
To view Friday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Friday Results - Truro Raceway.