CHARLOTTETOWN, PE – After a pair of breaks in Gold Cup and Saucer Trial 2, Yankee Osborne will look for a comeback in the $20,000 harness racing James (Roach) MacGregor Gold Cup and Saucer consolation Friday evening at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park.
The consolation event lines up in race 12 on Friday's card, kicking off at 7 P.M. as part of Gold Cup and Saucer week 2020. Yankee Osborne will leave from post 1 in the event with Neil MacInnis in the bike for trainer Ross MacInnis and owners Sarah Jane Stable of Ontario, Frank MacInnis of Nova Scotia and Thane Arsenault of Charlottetown. A winner in the $7,500 Lindsay Construction Cup in a track record performance, Yankee Osborne is the morning line favourite in the MacGregor consolation.
Avatar J also made a break in stride in Trial 1 and has drawn post 2 on Friday night with Gilles Barrieau in the driver's seat for trainer Danny MacDonald. JJ Powerball just missed making the final with a fifth place finish in Trial 2 and retains the services of driver Brodie MacPhee. The Post Time Picks in Friday's program lists Avatar J as the top choice. "Avatar J gets a favourable post in here and might be able to draft behind Yankee Osborne the entire way. If he's sitting second at the top of the stretch he could zip down the passing lane and get it all."
Also in the field is Freddy Bear (To be driven by Marc Campbell), Mach It Again (Dale Spence), Best To Hurst (David Dowling) and Euchred (Redmond Doucet).
The evening card also features the Lady Slipper Stake for three-year-old pacing fillies. Woodmere Skyroller has post 6 in race 11 on the card as she vies for the top prize in the $13,600 event from post 6 for driver MacPhee and trainer Kevin MacLean.
The other $13,600 Gold division is earlier on the card with Watch Me Dance (Jason Hughes) the morning line choice fresh off a 1:55.4 romp by six-lengths from the Stephen Quinn stable.
Race 1 is the Larry Spencer Memorial pace, sponsored by Coldwell Banker Parker Realty, with Rae Seelster (Adam Merner) the favourite.
The Donnie and Nan Simmonds Memorial pace will see Winter Blast (David Dowling) try to overcome post 7 in race 2.
Divine Deo (Barrieau) is the top pick in the race 4 George Wilkie Memorial.
Watch the worldwide broadcast at Redshores.ca and wager online at HPIBet.com.
By Nicholas Oakes For Red Shores