He is always knocking on the door and falling just short of the winner’s circle, but that could all change Thursday night for Cabo Pan Lucas at Red Shores’ Charlottetown Driving Park.
Cabo Pan Lucas is the morning line choice from Post 3 in the $2,200 featured event (Race 11) with Danny MacDonald in the bike for owner-trainer Gary Poulton and co-owner Alan Walker, all of Charlottetown. The chestnut pacer was victorious on opening day in Charlottetown in 1:59.1 before putting together a string of six straight on-the-board finishes since then.
Post 2 will see a big threat in Waterside Light with Kenny Arsenault in the bike for owners Larry Chappell and Hilliard Graves.
The field also includes some live opponents in First Art Down (to be driven by Ken Murphy) off the rail with a win in 1:58 fresh on his papers, along with Machinthesand (Corey MacPherson) who shocked the Thursday feature two weeks ago with a 37-1 upset victory in 1:56.1. Other entries are Narragansett (Jason Hughes) and Tempo Seelster (Vincent Poulton).
Race 10 has a solid field of mares slated to compete for a $1,600 pot. Ovation Killean is the morning line favourite from Post 5 for driver Shane Bernard, trainer Vaughan Doyle and owner Darla Jay of Charlottetown. The field includes the iron-tough Onehotvett (Wade Sorrie) from the rail as well as Atlantic Sires Stakes graduates Fleurje (Kenny Arsenault) and Bettim Jenny (Marc Campbell).
A group of seven trotters will compete in Race 5 for a $1,100 purse, including five three-year-old trotters gearing up for the 2015 stakes season. Summerside Raceway track record holder Suicide Shift headlines the group from Post 6 for driver Steven Shepherd and co-owner and trainer Harold Shepherd of Stratford and co-owner Margo Fisher of New Brunswick. Other entrants include Atlantic Breeders Crown finalist Wait For Me (Mark McKinnon), and Ontario Sires Stakes competitor Galbraith (Ron Matheson).
First-race post time for the 12-dash card is 7 pm.
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)