The 2019 summer racing season is about to swing into full gear with the first card of the year at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park on Saturday evening.
The 13-dash card kicks off at 6:00 p.m. (AST) featuring special promotions for Kentucky Derby Day. The first leg of the Thoroughbred Triple Crown has a 7:50 (AST) estimated post time with Red Shores Charlottetown holding a Derby hat contest with an official photo booth set up for ladies and gentlemen who arrive in the front entrance. Patrons will also receive a ticket on the live product, the Kentucky Derby and a ballot for a chance to win prizes. All photos will be uploaded to the Red Shores website for a fan voting contest.
Doctor Royal marches into town as the heavy favourite in the featured event, the twelfth race Preferred Pace carrying a $2,900 purse. The mainland pacer ships in from Truro Raceway in Nova Scotia for trainer Dawn Ellis Abbott after annihilating his foes by 15 open lengths in 1:55 in his East Coast debut at the Bible Hill half-miler. Gilles Barrieau will be back on the Island to drive Doctor Royal from Post 6 in the field of eight horses.
A number of fresh faces will provide the competition for Doctor Royal on Saturday. Hes Marvalous makes his Island debut from Post 2 in the event with Myles Heffernan Sr., in the bike for owner Jackie Heffernan of Summerville. The six-year-old son of Delmarvalous was racing in the $10,000 claiming class at Plainridge Park in Massachusetts. Midnight Matt is another newcomer in the Saturday evening preferred class with Adam Merner in the bike from Post 7 for trainer Jennifer Doyle of Earnescliffe. A four-year-old son of Royal Mattjesty, Midnight Matt was claimed from the Ontario circuit in February for $18,750.
With most of the field fresh off of qualifiers in the 2:00 range, Doctor Royal’s chart line of 1:55 is more than enough for race analyst Les MacIsaac to plug him into the top spot of his selections.
“Doctor Royal made his Maritime debut at Truro last week and had it been a fight, it would have been stopped early,” MacIsaac said. “That's quite a trip for this time of year and it sure makes this one look like a race for place.”
The field is rounded out by Confident Fella (Marc Campbell), Mick Dundee (Don MacNeill), Burn Out Hanover (Kenny Arsenault), Tobinator (Corey MacPherson) and Adkins Hanover (David Dowling).
Red Shores is launching a new show called Inside Track on Saturdays. Race Day broadcast hosts will interview members of the harness racing community prior to first race post parade. Vance Cameron, who received an honour for Canada’s best race call through fan voting on the Standardbred Canada website, will join Lee Drake on the segment scheduled to air at 5:35pm AST.
For race programs, promotional information and more go to Redshores.ca. To view the entries for Saturday's card, click the following link: Saturday Entries - Charlottetown Driving Park.
(Red Shores)