CHARLOTTETOWN, PE – Sent off as the post time harness racing co-favourite, Lisburn was hustled to the front and hung on for the top prize in the Saturday evening preferred pace at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park.
Kenny Arsenault snapped off the gate with Lisburn from post 3 in the $2,900 preferred pace and laid down splits of 28.3, 56.4 and 1:25.3 in a race where the rest of the field sat motionless trying to keep up with the fractions.
Woodmere Ideal Art (Driven by John Davidson) sat second the duration of the mile and took his shot for the stretch drive falling half-a-length short of the win to Lisburn in 1:54.1. Third went to Rose Run Quest (Gilles Barrieau). Kevin Harvey of Hammonds Plains, N.S., holds the ownership papers of Lisburn who scored his third win of the season.
Barrieau saw a driving triple on the Saturday card including the $2,750 Fillies and Mares Open pace with a 1:56.2 score aboard Sodwana Bay from his own stable for owners Wayne MacRae of Fall River, N.S., and Howmac Farms Ltd., of North Wiltshire.
Jordies Hope cut out the mile to finish second for driver Adam Merner with Traces Of Purple (Walter Cheverie) making a break in the stretch drive but recovered to still finish third.
Barrieau's other wins came with Noudidnt Blue Chip in 1:58.1 for owner-trainer Neal Moase of Warren Grove, and with Forever Paradise in the horse's 60th lifetime win from the Kevin MacLean stable of Kinross.
For race replays and more go to www.Redshores.ca.
By Nicholas Oakes, for Red Shores