Fighting hard through every inch of the mile, Bugsy Maguire fell short of victory last week but will look for a trip to the winner’s circle in Saturday afternoon’s featured pace at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park.
The 12-dash Saturday card has a 12:30 P.M. first race post time with the preferred pace hitting the track in race 11 for a $2,900 purse.
Bugsy Maguire made his first start back in action last week after being on the shelf since his victory in the July Governor’s Plate final. The Wade Sorrie trainee moved first-up and finished second to Chocolate Swirl in last week’s contest, and he gets Post 4 this Saturday with Gilles Barrieau picking up the catch-driving assignment for owner Walter Simmons.
Marc Campbell drove the horse in his return but the driver has elected to take the rest of the season off to fully recover from injuries he received in a Dec. 22 racing accident in Charlottetown.
Chocolate Swirl is assigned the outside Post 6 on Saturday after winning this class the past two weeks. Jason Hughes is back in the bike for trainer Jennifer Doyle. Fellow Doyle trainee Winter Blast leaves off the rail with Ken Murphy aboard while Bugsy Maguire's stablemate Pictonian Storm (Gordie Hennessey) has Post 2.
Peter MacPhee with the Post Time Picks leans on Bugsy Maguire to rebound from his second-place finish in his first start back. “Bugsy Maguire had to come first up last week and just missed to a hard-closing Chocolate Swirl,” MacPhee said. “It was a sharp effort considering he hadn’t raced since last July and with Barrieau in the bike this time they could get it all.”
Completing the top class field are Hungers Pangs (Mark Bradley) and Rockin Indy (Corey MacPherson).
The Fillies and Mares Open class lines up in the eighth race for a $2,800 pot. Woodmere Skyroller had been dominating the class before finishing fourth last week from the assigned outside post position. Barrieau is back in the seat this week from trainer Kevin MacLean, and the morning line favourite drew Post 3 for Saturday's test. Other top entries in that class are Roselily (Hughes) and Woodmere Chella (MacPherson).
For live video and more go to Redshores.ca and wager online at HPIBet.com. To view the entries for the Saturday card, click the following link: Saturday Entries - Charlottetown Driving Park.
(Red Shores)