A full field of top-tier pacers are set to collide in the Saturday afternoon Preferred Pace at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park.
First race post time is 12:30 P.M. for the 16-dash program as the capital oval shifts to racing once a week for the winter meet.
Heart And Soul rides a two-race win streak into the $2,550 Preferred Pace, slated as the 16th race on the card. The son of Western Paradise will leave from Post 4 in the afternoon feature for owner Riley Farms Ltd., of Summerside and trainer-driver Walter Cheverie. Race favourite Adkins Hanover is saddled with Post 7 for driver Corey MacPherson and trainer Trevor Hicken.
Jeb was a winner in last two outings and gets rail control for trainer-driver Jason Hughes in the top class, while the ultra-consistent Winter Blast has Post 2 for conditioner Jennifer Trainor with Adam Merner picking up the catch driving call. Other entries include Cartoon Daddy (Vaughan Doyle), Rose Run Quest (Marc Campbell), Woggy Rocks (Gary Chappell), and Forever Paradise (Ken Murphy).
The top mares on the Island will meet in Race 12 for a $2,000 purse. Drivingthedragon N is the morning line favourite from post 4 for trainer-driver Hughes and owner Donald MacRae of Vernon Bridge. Formerly the top mare on the Eastern Seaboard, Drivingthedragon N was racing in the U.S. when she suffered an injury earlier in the year. She made her first start back in pari-mutuel action last week in Charlottetown finishing second to Best Risque and driver Gilles Barrieau. Barrieau has returned to his hometown of Saint John, N.B., for the winter, thus Ken Murphy picks up the driving duties on Best Risque from Post 9 on Saturday.
Old Buck has been quietly amassing a solid season of racing on P.E.I. in 2017 and rides a two-race win streak into Race 15 with Hughes in the bike for owner-trainer Alan MacDonald of Summerisde. The four-year-old son of Ameripan Gigolo has has seven wins from 26 starts this year, racing primarily at Red Shores Summerside and is installed at 3-1 morning line odds Saturday afternoon. The $1,800 event has Painted Desert as the early favourite from Post 6 for driver MacPherson.
Bad Silver is a newcomer to Island racing, making her debut in Race 6 for trainer-driver Todd Walsh of Charlottetown. The four-year-old daughter of Badlands Hanover had been racing at Dover Downs in Delaware. Bad Silver gets post 5 in the $900 class at 8-1 odds.
To view entries for Saturday's card, click the following link: Saturday Entries - Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park.
(with files from Red Shores)