The Thursday night feature at Red Shores’ Charlottetown Driving Park promises to be a close one, as arguments can be made for any of the seven entrants to land in the winner’s circle.
First-race post time for the 12-dash card is 7 p.m. and the $2,000 featured pace has been programmed as Race 11.
Cabo Pan Lucas is the 5-2 morning line favourite and will start from Post 1 with Daniel MacDonald in the bike for owner-trainer Gary Poulton and co-owner Alan Walker, all of Charlottetown. The eight-year-old chestnut son of The Panderosa has yet to finish out of the top three this season and will have six worthy competitors to face off with.
Say It Again Sam (to be driven by Jason Hughes) will make his 2015 debut from Post 2 after a stellar 2014 campaign that saw him win 10 straight races, while Motorino (Terry Gallant) will look to keep his own win streak alive from Post 5 (he has won his last two outings). Fellow Poulton trainee I D K (Vincent Poulton) has Post 4 in the field that also includes McJestic (Corey MacPherson), My Lucky Killean (Gary Chappell) and Cheyenne Ford (Kenny Arsenault).
The evening trot class has been carded as Race 5 and carries a purse of $1,350. Veteran Caliban Hanover is the morning line choice from Post 6 for trainer-driver Ron Gass and owner Wendell MacDonald of Cornwall. The 10-year-old son of Andover Hall will compete with Howmacs Pride (Arsenault) and Honeymoonisover (Mark Bradley) for top honours in the field of eight.
A newcomer to Charlottetown will have her first crack at the top mares on the east coast in the $2,250 Fillies and Mares Open (Race 9). Roca Rei was racing at Flamboro Downs in Ontario for trainer Patrick Shepherd but now calls the Hughes stable home, with Jason ‘The Blue Knight’ Hughes in the bike from Post 4 for owner Robi Hughes of Stratford. The seven-year-old Cheyenne Rei mare has taken a mark of 1:57.1 at the half-mile oval at Western Fair already this season, but will have to fight off perennial top Maritime mare General Luckypercy (Ron Matheson) in her 2015 debut with Post 2, as well as the Alliegetty (Gary Chappell) with a two-race win streak on the line from post 7. Other entries include Dirt Track Momma (Marc Campbell), Blazing By (Brian Andrew), Sea Anna Win (Earl Smith) and Brodys Leona (MacPherson).
To view the harness racing entries for Thursday at the CDP, click the following link: Thursday Entries – Charlottetown Driving Park.
(With files from Red Shores)