The best in Island breeding will take the spotlight all weekend with stakes-laden programs at both Island tracks.
Saturday at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park the two-year-old pacing colts battle in the Joe O’Brien Memorial stake and the two-year-old pacing fillies meet in the Lady Slipper stake. The 14-dash Saturday card starts off with a 6:00 p.m. post time.
The first Lady Slipper Gold division carries a $13,000 purse in the eighth race with Southfield Skye guarding the rail. Adam Merner drives for trainer Glen Mackay and owner Southfield Farms Inc., of Summerside. The Stonebridge Terror filly has three wins from five lifetime starts.
Tobins Brownie is the favourite in the other $13,000 Gold split for rookie fillies in Race 11 with Post 4 for driver David Dowling and trainer Jonah Moase. A five-time winner, the Stonebridge Terror filly was bred by Wendell Williams of McNeills Mills and is owned by Alex Quinn of York, Carl Peterson of Hunter River and Amy Lakie of Greenfield.
The $8,750 Lady Slipper grassroots divisions line up in the second and fifth races.
Woodmere Stealdeal will look to extend his undefeated career to 10 races in his $12,000 Joe O’Brien Gold division in Race 12. The Danny Romo trainee had Marc Campbell at the lines for Nova Scotia owners Kevin Dorey and Robert Sumarah. Bruce Wood of Marshfield raised the Steelhead Hanover pacer.
Dustylanegoliath, a produce of Ron and Dianne Gass’ Dusty Lane Farms in Cornwall, is the morning line choice in the other $12,000 O’Brien Gold split, carded as Race 9. Gilles Barrieau trains and drives the Steelhead Hanover colt for Daniel Ross of Belfast.
The $8,100 O’Brien grassroots have divisions head postward in Races 3 and 6.
A 12-pack of stakes races will be unloaded Sunday afternoon at Red Shores at the Summerside Raceway.
The Prince County oval will kick off its card at 1:00 p.m. featuring the Joe O’Brien Memorial stake for three-year-old pacing colts, the Lady Slipper for three-year-old pacing fillies, a single division of the Atlantic Aged Pacing Mares Series and a leg of the Island Oceans Trot Classic for aged trot mares, while the two and three-year-old trotters each have lone divisions of the Lady Slipper.
Red Dirt Star is favoured in the first $13,800 Lady Slipper Gold division in Race 4 from Post 4 for trainer-driver Gilles Barrieau and owner Daniel Ross of Belfast. The eight-time winning Malicious lass was bred by Lowell Balderston of North Wiltshire.
Maritime Champion Woodmere Skyroller, from Bruce Wood’s Woodmere Farms of Marshfield, will look to add to her $72,000 in lifetime earnings in the second Lady Slipper gold division in Race 10. Barrieau gets the catch-driving call for trainer Kevin MacLean and owner Reg MacPherson of Stratford.
The Lady Slipper stake has $9,100 Grassroots divisions in Races 1 and 6.
Tobins Rebel will attempt to stretch his win streak to nine in his $12,500 O’Brien Gold division for sophomore colts. Barrieau trains and drives the son of Camystic, who has already banked $59,000 so far in 2020, for owner Daniel Ross. Wendell Williams of McNeills Mills bred Tobins Rebel.
Imalookertoo, raised by Blaine Thibeau of Kensington, is the morning line choice in his $12,500 O’Brien gold division from Post 2. Marc Campbell drives the Danny Romo trainee for owner Robert Sumarah of Halifax as the colt looks for his 10th lifetime win.
Races 2 and 7 will feature $8,000 splits of the O’Brien grassroots.
Dusty Lane Milo, raised at Ron and Dianne Gass’ Dusty Lane Farms of Cornwall, rides a three-race win streak into Race 3 of the program with $16,000 on the line in his Lady Slipper two-year-old trot division. Adam Merner drives the Tad The Stud colt for trainer Gass and owner Marsha Knox of Stanhope.
Tequila Tuesday (To be driven by Myles Heffernan Sr.) and Go With Her (Brodie MacPhee) will face off in a compact field of five in the $16,000 Lady Slipper stake for three-year-old trotters in Race 8.
Maritime Champion Hop Up will have to overcome Post 8 in the lone division of the Island Oceans Trot Classic presented by JD Marine and Diving Inc. Corey MacPherson is in the bike in the $5,100 event for owner-trainer Keith Campbell of Victoria West.
Arc Light is the favourite in the $6,140 Atlantic Aged Pacing Mares Series leg presented by Standardbred Canada in Race 12. Marc Campbell trains and drives the mare for Crossroads Racing Stable of Stratford. The race is in honour of James “Jimmy” Smith with members of the N.B. Ex and Fredericton Horseperson Association in attendance for the race.
Go to Redshores.ca for race programs and more and wager online at HPIBet.com.
To view entries for the weekend cards, click one of the following links:
► Saturday Entries - Charlottetown Driving Park
► Sunday Entries - Summerside Raceway
(Red Shores)