The Red Shores race office has assembled a solid card of racing for this Saturday at the Charlottetown Driving Park, as the finals of both the Cecil Ladner Memorial and the Maritime Breeders Finals for three-year-olds are on tap.
First-race post time for the 13-dash program is 6 p.m.
Starters from the Hicken stable – Big Surf (to be driven by Marc Campbell) and All Turain (Corey MacPherson) – will line up in the first two spots on the starting gate for the $6,000 Ladner final.
Si Semalu – who made his presence felt last week in his Island debut at Summerside by giving the air to favourite Big Surf – will start from Post 3 for Jason Hughes and Foxyhall Racing of Summerside, PE.
Top guns Motorino (Terry Gallant) and last year’s Governor’s Plate champion D Gs Camme (Gilles Barrieau) will complete the power-packed field.
Jann Down (Gilles Barrieau) is heading into the Maritime Breeders final for the fillies as the early favourite. The $24,360 final (Race 8) is named in honour of its co-founder, Ken Starratt. The dash is loaded with talent and has the potential of producing some surprises with triactor candidates Woodmere Dancenart (Clare MacDonald) and Elm Grove Joanette (Kenny Arsenault) drawing inside the favourite, Wynnfrith, trained by Nick Oakes and driven by Jason Hughes, has the rail while Invader M and Miss Oromocto start from challenging posts of six and eight, respectively. Pictonian Swifty and Swift Taylor earned their way into the race, which is scheduled to head to post for an 8 p.m. (AST) post time.
Meanwhile, the three-year colts will compete in the $19,180 MBA final in memory of the late Doug Harkness. BNGS Express (Danny Romo) have been established as the morning line favourite, but the Kevin MacLean-trained Dixieland Band (Gilles Barrieau) will be tough to beat. The colt, owned by Reg MacPherson, and David and Aaron MacKenzie, has been very sharp since arriving home from his stint in Ontario. Then add Ultimatelyhandsome and Arnold Dick and it looks like it could be quite the showdown. The roster also includes Proven Desire, Pictonian Edge, JJ Romeo and Putnams Legacy.
To view the harness racing entries for Saturday at the CDP, click the following link: Saturday Entries – Charlottetown Driving Park.
Red Shores’ Summerside Raceway will host two divisions of the Atlantic Aged Pacing Mares Series on Sunday. First-race post time is 1 p.m. The series is presented by Standardbred Canada and Red Shores and features stops at other racetracks in the Maritimes. The participating mares that end up accumulating the most points during the series will earn the right to return to Summerside to compete in the final on October 4.
Newcomer Romance In Camelot, a winner in her Island debut for Terry Gallant, will start from Post 1 in the first $3,465 division (Race 8), which is scheduled to head to post at 3 p.m. (AST). The seven-year-old mare meets Dirt Track Momma (Marc Campbell) and Ramblinglily (Walter Cheverie) in the contest which also includes General Luckypercy, Stayoutofmyaffair and newbies Best Risque and Lucksgottachange.
Rose Valley, trained by veteran horseman Mike Campbell, leads the way into the next division for the mares (Race 11). Campbell has listed the services of Kenny Arsenault. Jackie Matheson trainee For All We Know will also contest the race for owner Bruce Wood, Marshfield and driver Gary Chappell.
To view the harness racing entries for Sunday at Summerside, click the following link: Sunday Entries – Summerside Raceway.
(With files from Red Shores)