Officials with Red Shores have sent out preview stories which shine the light on the cards of racing scheduled for the Charlottetwon Driving Park and Summerside Raceway this weekend.
Proven Lover Listed As Morning Favorite Saturday In Charlottetown
Gold Cup finalist Proven Lover will take on a power-packed field in the $2,400 feature Saturday at Red Shores' Charlottetown Driving Park. Post time to kick off the action is 6:00 p.m.
Proven Lover, owned by Casey Gavin, Tignish, PE, will start from Post 6 in Race 12 with Terry Gallant listed to drive for trainer Thane Mann. The nine-year-old pacing star was roughed up in the Gold Cup trial to finish third and then placed fifth in the final where he was charted in 1:52.4.
Touch of Lightning, who became the fasted Island-bred horse when he stopped the timer in an incredible 1:53 flat in the Premier’s Pace, has drawn Post 4 for driver Earl Smith and his connections of Don and Peter Smith, Larry Chappell and Gerald Morrissey. Governor’s Plate winner Wild Dragon will start from Post 5 for catch-driver Walter Cheverie. Here is the complete field from the rail out: J V S Ring (PP1), All Turain (PP2), Big League (PP3), Touch of Lightning (PP4), Wild Dragon (PP5), Proven Lover (PP6), Cambest Kisser (PP7) and Greatheart Hanover (PP8).
The open trotters will share in the stage in Race 3 with top guns Zip the Lip (to be driven by Brian MacPhee), Abundaspin (Harold Shepherd) and Caliban Hanover (Ron Gass) hooking up in the $1,800 contest.
To view the harness racing entries for Saturday at the CDP, click the following link: Saturday Entries - Charlottetown Driving Park.
Stakes Stars Invade Summerside; Joe O’Brien and Lady Slipper Stakes Highlight Card
The two-year-old stars of harness racing will strut their stuff Sunday at Red Shores Summerside with six divisions of the Joe O’Brien Memorial for colts while the fillies compete in six splits of the Lady Slipper.
In the first O’Brien Gold, Dumas Walker, named after the Kentucky Headhunters hit in the 1990s, will put his winning streak on the line in Race 6. Myles Heffernan will drive the colt that has been perfect since the miscue at Summerside in the Callbeck Stakes. Settlement Request and JJ Laser will try to knock off the favourite.
Tobins Fusion headlines the other O’Brien Gold division for Gilles Barrieau. The Western Paradise colt has banked $11,523 this season for Boyd MacDonald Produce Ltd, Daniel Ross and Charlie Seymour.
The undefeated filly Lovineveryminute will step on the racetrack in the Lady Slipper Gold event in Race 8 for trainer Earl Watts. The filly is five for five with $18,792 to her credit since July 1. Owner Reg MacPherson and his trainer, Kevin MacLean, will send out Saulsbrook Alana from Post 5. The MacPherson-MacLean combination has been red-hot lately.
Dusty Lane Dora, trained by Elton Miller, is 5-2 on the morning line for the next Lady Slipper Gold in Race 12. Corey MacPherson gets the driving assignment for owner Ron Gass, Cornwall.
To view the harness racing entries for Sunday at Summerside, click the following link: Sunday Entries - Summerside Raceway.
(With files from Red Shores)