CHARLOTTETOWN, PE – While the 'King' of Island harness racing swept the final three dashes of the card, a record June wager was set on the Thursday evening season opener at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park.
The capital oval was the first track in Canada to hold harness racing since March and the historic oval handled $102,308 on the 10-dash card in online betting as no spectators were allowed on site.
Trainer-driver Marc Campbell gave Dreamfair Zenfire a perfect two-hole trip in her Island debut in the featured $2,900 Fillies and Mares Open pace for owners Ryan and Everett MacLeod of Souris. Time of the mile was 1:56. Race favourite Berazzled (Driven by Mike McGuigan) set the early tempo with splits of 28.4, 58.1 and 1:27.3 with Dreamfair Zenfire sitting on her back. The eventual winner angled out for the stretch drive to win by half-a-length over Berazzled with Woodmere Chella (David Dowling) rounding out the triactor.
Howmac Blaze was an earlier winner for Campbell in 1:59.4 in a front-end score for trainer Michelle Myers of Cardigan. The final part of the Campbell hat-trick was from his own stable in the $2,400 back-up pace as Arc Light got away in the back of the pack and made a power move to the front heading to the half-mile marker. The Maritime stakes graduate unleashed a final half in 57 seconds to win by six-lengths in 1:58.2 over Miss Kabana (Vincent Poulton) and Killean Finale (Ken Murphy).
Live racing continues Saturday evening at 6 P.M. at Red Shores Charlottetown with a 10-dash program. For race replays and more go to Redshores.ca.
By Nicholas Oakes For Red Shores