A field of the very finest pacers on the East Coast will assemble Saturday evening (June 22) to contest the Cecil Ladner Memorial Invitational at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park.
The 12-dash Saturday evening program kicks off at 6:00 p.m. with the $5,500 Ladner Memorial carded as the eleventh race.
Maritime seasonal record holder All Artist will get the respect as morning line favourite in the Ladner from post five. Driver Gilles Barrieau elected off of two other mounts to drive the six-year-old son of Roddys Bags Again for trainer Toby MacDonald and owner Anthony Stymest, and the pacer comes in off a sharp 1:53.4 victory over Truro Raceway.
Down On My Luck will control the rail in the field of eight with Jason Hughes in the bike for trainer Harold Shepherd and owner Robert Woodburn of St. Thomas, Ont. The five-year-old son of Camluck has yet to see the winner’s circle on the East Coast but has hit the top three in both his Island starts.
Doctor Royal was the top force in the preferred ranks early in the season and gets post two for owner-trainer Dawn Ellis Abbott of Truro, N.S. Walter Cheverie picks up the catch drive on the pacer, who sports a 1:55 speed badge this season.
Bugsy Maguire did not have a warm Island welcome in his debut as he was parked the route by Euchred but still hung around to finish third in last week’s Preferred. Walter Simmons of Summerside holds the ownership papers of the five-year-old son of Bettors Delight, who will have Myles Heffernan Sr., in the race bike for trainer Wade Sorrie.
Rose Run Quest proved he can never be counted out with a third-place finish in last year’s The Guardian Gold Cup and Saucer final. Trainer Marc Campbell will steer the Blair Hansen-owned pacer from post four on Saturday evening.
Euchred has been controlling the front end in recent weeks but might have to chance those tactics on Saturday with a post six starting spot. David Dowling will drive the Shadow Play gelding for trainer Mike Dowling and owner Kayla Habicht Walker of Inverness, N.S.
Revenant has stepped up his game for his five-year-old season and has yet to miss a cheque against the big boys for owner Kyla MacDonald of Stanhope. Adam Merner will drive the nine-time winner from post seven for trainer Melissa Rennie.
Rounding out the field in the Cecil Ladner Memorial Invitational is post eight starter Screen Test. A former top three-year-old in Western Canada, Screen Test was a bang-up second in 1:54.2 in his latest start for William Andrew of Calgary, Alta., and Kickin Horse Stable of York. Corey MacPherson has been in the racebike for Screen Test during his four-year-old season with Stephen Gass handling the training duties.
Big Surf has been listed as the favorite in the Drive For Home Series presented by Hillside Chevrolet Buick GMC Cadillac in the eighth race.
Samantha Gallant, sister of driver-trainer Terry Gallant and organizer of Harness The Hope, will be the special guest on the Inside Track Saturday with host Lee Drake. The segment airs at 5:35 p.m. on the Red Shores broadcast.
Catch the red-hot action live at the track or tune into the worldwide broadcast at Redshores.ca. To view the entries for Saturday's card, click the following link: Saturday Entries - Charlottetown Driving Park.
(with files from Red Shores)