A pair of reinsmen will make Saturday's (May 8) Opening Day program at Red Shores at Charlottetown Driving Park cause for a Prince Edward Island homecoming, adding to an already talented driving colony at the historic venue.
Austin Sorrie, who moved his base of operations to Ontario in 2019 and achieved career highs in wins (151) and purses ($923,462) en route to being named the Future Star Award winner at the 2020 O'Brien Awards, will mark his Island homecoming with two drives on the 12-race program, including aboard Bugsy Maguire in the featured $3,200 Preferred Pace, carded as race 11.
The seven-year-old Bettors Delight gelding began 2021 with a win and two second-place finishes in three tries against Preferred 2 company will start from post four in the field of five for trainer Wade Sorrie and owner Walter Simmons. Avatar J has been tabbed the 5-2 morning line favourite in the featured field, invading from Rideau Carleton Raceway, where he last finished third in a Preferred event on March 28. Gilles Barrieau, defending driving champion at Exhibition Park Raceway in New Brunswick, handles the driving duties for trainer Daniel MacDonald.
Another Island native returning for the start of the Charlottetown meet is Ryan Desroche, who will pilot Hunger Pangs for trainer Blair McKenna in the finale, a sub-featured $2,400 conditioned pace.
Defending Charlottetown driving and training champion Marc Campbell is absent from both features, but is listed for four drives on the 12-race card, including his own trainees Eagle Jolt (race seven) and Well Ell (race 10). Barrieau, who moved his primary base of operations to Prince Edward Island from New Brunswick last winter, is listed for seven drives in total.
Fans of the Red Shores racing product will notice a brand new wagering menu, featuring a Jackpot Hi-5 with a low 15 per cent takeout and a reduced minimum bet of 20 cents for superfecta and Pick-4 wagers along with the new Hi-5. The track's Race Day broadcast, which begins 30 minutes before first post and features Vance Cameron, Lee Drake and Peter MacPhee, boasts refreshed graphics and a new Paddock Cam. The broadcast can be streamed live via the Red Shores website.
Post time for the season's first program is 6 p.m. Atlantic. The Charlottetown race meeting is slated to last through the end of 2021, with racing primarily on Thursday and Saturday evenings in addition to the annual Old Home Week racing festival in mid-August, culminating with the Gold Cup & Saucer.
To view Saturday's entries at Charlottetown, along with program pages courtesy TrackIT, click the following links: Entries | Program Pages.
(with files from Red Shores)