A stakes-laden Saturday doubleheader is in the cards Saturday (Sept. 15) for Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park as the capital oval plays host to the 85th anniversary of Canada’s oldest stakes race.
The P.E.I Colt Stakes for two-year-old pacers dots the landscape of the busy Saturday at the capital oval with the action kicking off at 12:30 P.M.
The first race of the day gets the stakes racing underway with a $7,300 P.E.I. Colt Stakes two-year-old filly division. Ezra Express is the morning line favourite in the class for trainer-driver Marc Campbell and owner Danica Ellis of Brookfield, N.S. The daughter of Ameripan Gigolo will look to add to her $14,951 in seasonal earnings fresh off a 2:00.2 lifetime best performance at Northside Downs in Nova Scotia.
Bettorthanbobbi has rail control as the favourite in the second rookie filly split in Race 4 as Mark Bradley will steer the four-time winner for trainer Tom Weatherbie and owner Ian Smith of Charlottetown.
Watch Me Dance will look to expand on her $19,933 in purses in Race 7 with Bradley driving the post three starter for co-owner and trainer Stephen Quinn and co-owners John Quinn and Ozzie MacKay.
The final $7,300 two-year-old filly division has Saulsbrook Ocean taking her not-worse-than-second record to the test from post four for the duo of driver Dale Spence and trainer Joe Baxter. The Nova Scotia ownership group of Saulsbrook Stables Inc., Jennifer Baxter and Michael MacKenzie own the daughter of Westwardho Hanover.
The P.E.I Colt Stakes for two-year-old pacing colts has its first $7,000 division in Race 2 as Harry G earns the respect of the morning line with post four for trainer-driver Paul Langille and owners Arleen, Chantel Gillis of Nova Scotia and Christina Gillis of Ontario.
Hes Watching colt U Bettim Watching will attempt to knock off his competition in the second split in Race 5 with Kenny Arsenault back in the bike for co-owner and trainer Jeff Lilley and co-owners Shirlene O’Brien and Blair MacLauchlan.
Tobins Rebel had his first taste of defeat in his latest start but will look to rebound to his previously undefeated ways in Race 8 for a $7,000 pot. Gilles Barrieau trains and drives the son of Camystic for owner Daniel Ross of Belfast.
Woodmere Rollnpop has his work cut out for him from post eight in the final P.E.I. Colt Stakes two-year-old pacing colt division in race eight for trainer-driver Clare MacDonald and Nova Scotia owners Phonsie MacEachern and Morah Kerr. The leader in his division, Woodmere Rollnpop has five wins and two seconds from just seven starts for over $28,000 in prize money in his rookie campaign.
P.E.I. Colt Stakes action continues on the busy Saturday of racing at Red Shores Charlottetown with a 15-dash program scheduled for 6:30 P.M. with the three-year-old pacers as well as the Atlantic Aged Pacing Mares Series presented by Standardbred Canada.
Yet again, the stakes action starts right off the hop with a field of three-year-old pacing colt competing in a $6,800 P.E.I. Colt Stakes division in Race 1. Purple Poet is the early favourite as trainer-driver Arsenault will look for the horse’s seventh lifetime win for owner Kevin Harvey of Hammonds Plains, N.S.
Champion sophomore Notorious headlines the second colt split in Race 4 for trainer-driver Campbell and owners Darryl and Gordon MacLean of Winsloe and Nova Scotian Shirley Symes. The son of Malicious has been building on his healthy $78,000 bankroll every week this season.
The one-two punch of former pasture mates Red Dirt Rocknroll (David Dowling) and Red Dirt Boomer (Barrieau) headlines the P.E.I. Colt Stakes three-year-old pacing colt division in Race 8. Both bred by Lowell Balderston of North Wiltshire, the pacing colts will again square off with Red Dirt Boomer putting his three-race win streak on the line from post five for owner Daniel Ross.
P.E.I Colt Stakes pacing colt action comes to a close in Race 12 as the ultra-consistent Saulsbrook Lassie will leave from post two as the top choice for driver Adam Merner, co-owner and trainer Jean Belliveau and co-owner Norman Leger.
The first $7,800 P.E.I. Colt stakes three-year-old filly division is slated for Race 2 with Glasgow Gracie pegged as the one to beat for trainer-driver Campbell and owners Blair and Carl Hansen and Isaac Schurman of P.E.I.
Elm Grove Nellie has rail control in the second of three filly bouts for driver Spence and trainer Baxter. Owned by Jennifer Baxter and Gregory Francis, both of Nova Scotia, the daughter of Stonebridge Terror will look for her fourth win of the season.
The red-hot Woodmere Oleksiak has proven untouchable in recent weeks with five straight divisional victories and will have rail control as she looks to continue that trend in the final $7,800 filly division in Race 10. Dowling drives the Earl Watts trainee for owners Windemere Farms, Hollis Newson, Debbie Denney and Ric McNutt.
The Atlantic Aged Pacing Mares Series, sponsored by Standardbred Canada, has a pair of divisions on the program with $3,620 up for grabs in each division. The top-pacing mares will compete in the fifth and seventh races on the program.
The Race 15 finale has a hard-hitting group of preferred pacers vying for a $2,900 purse with Gold Cup and Saucer finalist Lisburn (Arsenault) the top pick from post five.
Driver-trainer Brian MacPhee will be special guest on Inside Track. The interview segment, hosted by Peter MacPhee, will air at 5:30 p.m. on the Red Shores broadcast.
Catch all the action live at the track or tune into the Worldwide Broadcast at Redshores.ca. To view the entries for the Saturday cards, click one of the following links: Saturday Entries (Afternoon) || Saturday Entries (Evening).
(with files from Red Shores)