CHARLOTTETOWN, PE – Guarding the rail from the start, Painted Desert and driver Corey MacPherson never looked back en route to a historic milestone for the harness racing reinsman Saturday Night at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park.
MacPherson celebrated win number 1,000 of his driving career aboard his own trainee as the 14-year-old son of Western Ideal was on top at every call in 1:57.3 for owner Perry Burke of Grosse-Ile., Quebec, to upset at 12-1 odds.
The milestone victory was one of three for the 31-year-old Cornwall driver as he also hit the line first with the Melissa Rennie trained Ms Moyse in a lifetime best 1:57.2 score while also closing out the program with Tobinator for trainer Ambyr Campbell in 1:59.1 to bring his lifetime win total to 1,002.
Marc Campbell had a pair of winners from his stable including the $2,700 featured pace with Jetster in a new lifetime best of 1:55.3 for owner Jamie Struthers of Nova Scotia. Tempo Seelster (Ken Murphy) rallied for second while Mystery Phil (Driven by Adam Merner) did all the early roadwork to finish third.
Campbell's other win came with newcomer Power Of A Cruiser in 1:58.1 for owner Charles Symes of Nova Scotia.
The capital oval now goes dark until Thursday July 16. Island racing action will shift to Red Shores Summerside this week for Governor's Plate week racing featuring evening cards Tuesday through Saturday night culminating in the 52nd running of the historic Governor's Plate.
For more information go to Redshores.ca.
By Nicholas Oakes, for Red Shores