J K Special, under the command of Walter Cheverie, put in one of her biggest performances of the season when she won the Erwin Andrew Memorial Pacing Series Final in 1:57 after being parked every step of the way
. The event was staged Saturday night at Red Shores Racetrack & Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park.
With the inside horses leaving hard off the gate, and J K Special leaving from Post 7, Cheverie had no other option but to keep the filly rated on the outside when he couldn't beat Onehotvett and driver Clare MacDonald to the front.
MacDonald laid down stiff fractions of :27.4, :57.1 and 1:27.1, but J K Special, bred, owned and trained by Joe Smallwood, never gave up and had to dig in deep in the stretch to reach up and win the rich $15,200 final, presented by Meridian Farms and Standardbred Canada.
The daughter of Cambest-J K Beauty earned her second win in a row and her 10th of the year in 24 starts. She won three of her four preliminary Erwin Andrew legs, finishing second in the other.
Onehotvett (Clare MacDonald) held on for second while Troxel Hanover (Terry Gallant), who had to charge three-wide past the three-quarter pole, completed the triactor. The 6-3-5 combination returned $192.20.
Fresh off a victory in the Atlantic Breeders Crown, Maple Leaf Spirit, driven by trainer Ralph Annear, won the lone $3,000 Maritime Breeders elimination for three-year-old trotters in 2:01.2. The Meadowagogo filly, co-owned by Annear and Steven Sorrie of Montague, P.E.I., won her third in a row and her ninth of the season in 11 starts.
Annear sent the trotter to the lead and opened up five lengths on the field past the opening quarter in :29.3 with the rest of the mile being charted in 1:00.1 and 1:31.1. West River Victory (Clare MacDonald) finished second by a length while Waiting On A Woman (Corey MacPherson), who made a break at the start, made up a ton of ground to grab third.
Outlawpositivcharg captured the evening's top class, a $2,200 event, in a brisk 1:56.2 for owner Fred Lamont of Calgary, Alberta. Trainer Terry Gallant engineered the winning trip, putting the pacing star on the point past the half and held off a determined Carnivore (Marc Campbell) for second and Sombrero Blue Chip (Mike Stevenson) for third. The Maritime invitational star notched his seventh win from 22 starts this season.
Katie Gene Miller had a memorable night in the bike. The 19-year-old female driver recorded her first driving double of her career. Trainer Neal Moase booked the Inverness, N.S. native to pilot Race Me Volcano and Woodmere Real Drop on the program. Jason Hughes also had two victories on the 12-race presentation.
For results from Saturday's harness racing card, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Charlottetown Driving Park.
(With files from Red Shores)