The very best pacers on the East Coast will butt heads in the Saturday evening preferred pace at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park.
The 13-dash Saturday card has a 6:00 P.M. first race post time.
Rose Run Quest has received top billing in the $2,900 Preferred class, carded as the 12th race on Saturday, fresh off a runner-up finish in the $20,000 James (Roach) MacGregor Gold Cup & Saucer consolation last Friday. Rose Run Quest has drawn post four, with Gilles Barrieau subbing in for trainer and regular driver Marc Campbell who is competing in stakes action in Nova Scotia. Owned by Blair Hansen of Charlottetown, Rose Run Quest has amassed seven wins from 14 seasonal starts along with $34,938 in earnings.
Rail horse Best To Hurst takes a two-race win streak into Saturday's with Walter Cheverie in the bike for trainer Earl Watts. JJ Powerball also has a pair of wins in his latest races, including a 1:53.2 lifetime best performance during Old Home Week racing in Charlottetown. Gordie Hennessey will drive the four-year-old son of Image Of Dawn for trainer Wade Sorrie.
Race analyst Les MacIsaac pegs Rose Run Quest as the one to beat in the preferred pace.
“Rose Run Quest has won half his starts this year facing the best in the Maritimes and also some pretty powerful outsiders,” MacIsaac said. “Just a quick check of his lines should tell you the road to the winner's circle goes through him.”
Completing in the field are IC True Grit (Mike McGuigan), Midnight Matt (Jason Hughes), Burn Out Hanover (Corey MacPherson), Woodmere Ideal Art (Norris Rogers) and Bugsy Maguire (Myles Heffernan).
The $2,700 Fillies and Mares Open pace hits the track in the eighth race with Sodwana Bay the morning line favourite. She's drawn the inside post one for trainer-driver Barrieau and owners Wayne MacRae of Fall River, N.S., and Howmac Farms Ltd., of North Wiltshire.
The Saturday program will also be the last one for Red Shores Charlottetown paddock Judge Dylan Allain, who will be leaving to work for Woodbine Mohawk Park in the race office.
For race programs and more check out Redshores.ca. To view the entries for Saturday's card, click the following link: Saturday Entries - Charlottetown Driving Park.
(with files from Red Shores)