CHARLOTTETOWN, PE – With an inside post position to work from this week, Jackson K Down easily disposed of seven foes on his way to the winner's circle Thursday evening at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park.
Corey MacPherson engineered the winning trip, while taking a two-hole ride until past the five-eighths pole where he power moved to the front to cruise home in 1:58.2 by a seven-length margin. The five-year-old son of Camystic is trained by Stephen Mason for owner Stephen Downey of Quispamsis, N.B. Race favourite Nogreatmischief (Driven by Walter Cheverie) was second in the $2,200 featured pace while third went to Tempo Seelster (Vincent Poulton).
Hop Up claimed the $1,950 Open trot with a 2:01.4 victory also with MacPherson at the lines. The Cornwall driver was in the seat for owner-trainer Keith Campbell of Tyne Valley. Second went to Majian Tango (Jim Ripley) while Professor Gordon (Jason Hughes) completed the $450.90 triactor.
MacPherson had a driving triple on the program as he also won with Dusty Lane Artiste in 2:02.1 for trainer Stephen Gass of Cornwall.
Meadowbranch Patsy was victorious in her East Coast debut winning a $1,350 trot class in 2:01.4 for driver Cheverie and trainer William Roloson, who co-owns the three-year-old daughter of Explosive Matter with Scott Roloson of Belfast and Princeton Farms Inc., of Ontario.
Heavyweights Hit Red Shores Charlottetown Saturday
CHARLOTTETOWN, PE – Call it a rematch of the Governor’s Plate or whatever you want but the fact remains that the Saturday night feature at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park will likely be the toughest $2,500 race of the Canadian harness racing season.
The 14-dash Saturday program gets underway at 6 P.M. at the capital oval with the $2,500 preferred pace hitting the track in race 13 with some real firepower. Governor’s Plate champion Czar Seelster has drawn post 7 with Kenny Arsenault at the lines for trainer Todd Weatherbee and owner Tammy Johnston of Vernon Bridge.
The nine-year-old son of Stonebridge Regal was a dazzling 1:53.2 winner in the $25,000 Governor’s Plate final at Red Shores Summerside on July 14, but went down to defeat last week in the $7,500 Exhibition Cup at Truro Raceway in Nova Scotia.
The winner of that race is also in the Saturday preferred field with Rose Run Quest leaving from post 6 for driver Marc Campbell, trainer Bo Ford and owner Blair Hansen of Charlottetown. Mr Irresistible completed the triactor in the Governor’s Plate and gets post 4 this week with Adam Merner in the bike for trainer Jennifer Doyle, who conditions two horses in the race including post 8 starter Winter Blast (Driven by Walter Cheverie).
Adkins Hanover has rail control for Ambyr Campbell while Governor’s Plate finalists Cartoon Daddy (Dale Spence) and Do Over Hanover (Jason Hughes) are also in the field. To highlight how competitive the race is, Perfect Escape shows mile in 1:55 and change in three of his last four starts and is listed as the longest shot in the morning line odds.
In other action on the Saturday program, race 5 is the Clan MacPhail 2018 Reunion Pace with Dilans Mustang the favourite in the $1,100 class for driver Ken Murphy, trainer Robert Phillips and owner Marc Gallant of Summerside.
Stakes Action Fires Up Red Shores Summerside Card
SUMMERSIDE, PE – The top rookies of all gaits and sexes as well as the sophomore trotters populate a complete Stakes card Sunday afternoon at Red Shores at the Summerside Raceway.
The 12-dash programs kicks off at 1 P.M. with the two-year-old colt and filly pacers and two-year-old trotters competing in the Callbeck Memorial stakes and the three-year-old trotters facing off in the newly minted Tyndal Semple Memorial Stake. The Semple Memorial stake replaces the former Maple Leaf Trot series as part of the Island Breeder’s series. All races Sunday afternoon will be the first leg of the Island Breeder’s series, which combined with the 85th running of the P.E.I. Colt Stakes set for September at Red Shores Charlottetown, will determine the finalist for the end of year Island Breeder’s championship finals.
Two-year-old pacing filly divisional leader Therealdeal headlines the rookie split in race 4 with Walter Cheverie driving the undefeated daughter of Westwardho Hanover from post 4 in the event for trainer Joe Baxter of Nova Scotia. The other $5,800 two-year-old filly divisions are in races 2, 6 and 11.
The rookie pacing colts lines up in races 8, 10 and 12 in George Callbeck Memorial divisions for $6,750 in each race. The undefeated Woodmere Bolt has rail control in race 8 for trainer-driver Earl Smith and owners Peter Smith of Stratford, Gerald Morrissey of Vernon River and Nova Scotia owner Arnold Hagen of Bible Hill.
The Callbeck stake for rookie trotters lines up for $5,600 purses in races 1 and 5. Mile Hill Willie (Kenny Arsenault) is favoured in race 1 for trainer Paul Morrison while Ya Boy Bear (Campbell) is the favourite in race 5 with rail control.
Stake namesake George Callbeck bought his first horse in 1916 and his involvement, not only in the founding of the PEI Harness Racing Club, but also as a race horse owner, trainer, driver, race official and stallion owner, earned him an induction into the PEI Sports Hall Of Fame in 1965 and into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall Of Fame in 1978. He won his first colt stakes race in 1935, winning all three heats with Guy Ann, a home-bred, who went on to become a Maritime Champion.
The Semple Memorial trots are scheduled in races 3, 7 and 9 for $4,600 purses. Buckaroo leads the way in race 3 with Campbell in the bike for trainer Bo Ford and owners Larry and Kathy Chappell of Marshfield. Mile Hill AJ (Arsenault) is the morning line choice in race 7 while Oceanview Eunomia is selected in race 9 also with Arsenault at the lines.
Tyndall Semple, the stakes namesake starting in 2018, was born in Travellers Rest, near Summerside, and had a long and successful 72-year-long career in the race bike including seven Island Futurity wins.
For more information on Sunday’s program go to www.Redshores.ca.
by Nicholas Oakes, for Red Shores