A field of eight drivers will vie for the Paul MacDonald Memorial Trophy on Horse Person’s Day Saturday afternoon (Nov. 21) at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park.
The 11-dash Saturday card gets underway at 12:30 p.m., featuring the MacDonald Memorial Driving Championship, which honours the longtime top reinsman at the capital oval.
The MacDonald Driving Championship, presented by the Prince Edward Island Standardbred Horse Owner’s Association, will see eight drivers compete in eight races on the day with the top point earner grabbing the MacDonald Memorial trophy.
The event has three criteria to select the drivers. The top four reinsmen at Charlottetown — Marc Campbell, Gilles Barrieau, Adam Merner and Corey MacPherson — earned spots in the event. The two top percentage pilots with over 75 starts — Steven Shepherd and David Dowling — qualify, as do the top two drivers by average with between 30 and 75 starts — Donnie MacNeil and Dave Kelly Sr. The competition includes races 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9 and 10.
The afternoon's featured race, the Steven MacRae Memorial Pace, carries a purse of $2,500 and is carded as race 11. Revenant is the morning line choice with Merner in the driver’s seat for trainer Ron Gass and owner Kyla MacDonald. The If I Can Dream six-year-old was third his last start at the preferred level to The Rev and will leave from post 5 on Saturday. Pillage And Burn, who has post 2 with Ken Murphy in the bike for trainer Trevor Hicken, carries a streak of eight straight top-three finishes into the race. Shadow Of A Daut has rail control for driver Campbell after circling the field in his latest.
Peter MacPhee with the Post Time Picks pegs Pillage And Burn for the top spot in Saturday’s feature:
“Pillage And Burn has been on a huge tear the past two months and already has eight wins this season. He’s also back inside for this start so don’t be surprised if he’s first or second again.”
For race programs and a score sheet for the MacDonald Memorial Driving Challenge, go to redshores.ca and wager online at HPIBet.com.
To view Saturday's complete entries, click the following link: Saturday Entries – Red Shores Charlottetown.
(Red Shores)