Call it a rematch of the Governor’s Plate or whatever you want but the fact remains that the Saturday night feature at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park will likely be the toughest $2,500 race of the Canadian harness racing season.
The 14-dash Saturday program gets underway at 6:00 P.M. at the capital oval with the $2,500 preferred pace slated for Race 13. Governor’s Plate champion Czar Seelster has drawn post seven with Kenny Arsenault at the lines for trainer Todd Weatherbee and owner Tammy Johnston of Vernon Bridge. The nine-year-old son of Stonebridge Regal was a dazzling 1:53.2 winner in the $25,000 Governor’s Plate final at Red Shores Summerside on July 14, but went down to defeat last week in the $7,500 Exhibition Cup at Truro Raceway in Nova Scotia. The winner of that race, Rose Run Quest is also in the Saturday preferred field, leaving from post six for driver Marc Campbell, trainer Bo Ford and owner Blair Hansen of Charlottetown.
Mr Irresistible completed the triactor in the Governor’s Plate and gets post four this week with Adam Merner in the bike for trainer Jennifer Doyle, who conditions two horses in the race including post eight starter Winter Blast (Walter Cheverie). Adkins Hanover has rail control for Ambyr Campbell while Governor’s Plate finalists Cartoon Daddy (Dale Spence) and Do Over Hanover (Jason Hughes) are also in the field. To highlight how competitive the race is, Perfect Escape shows miles in 1:55 and change in three of his last four starts and is listed as the longest shot in the morning line odds.
In other action on the Saturday program, race five is the Clan MacPhail 2018 Reunion Pace. Dilans Mustang is the favourite in the $1,100 class for driver Ken Murphy, trainer Robert Phillips and owner Marc Gallant of Summerside.
For entries, click the following link: Saturday Entries - Charlottetown Driving Park.
(with files from Red Shores)