CHARLOTTETOWN, PE – The fastest horse of the 2016 harness racing meeting gets to prove he is turning things around in the Thursday evening feature at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park.
First race post time is 6:30 PM for the 12-dash program with OK Galahad drawing post 5 in the race 11 feature for trainer-driver Jason Hughes off a blistering 1:54.4 trip, the quickest recorded time so far in the 2016 Maritime Racing Season. The five-year-old son of Badlands Hanover is owned by Robi Hughes of Stratford and Foxyhall Racing of Nova Scotia but will jump back up in this class for this $2,200 event. Last Thursday's feature winner, Fightmaster, has been shouldered with post 7 with trainer Mike McGuigan back in the bike as he looks to extend his two-race win streak, while Eagle Jolt has drawn post 1 after being knocked off his roost as Thursday feature champion by Fightmaster last week.
Race analyst Les MacIsaac is banking on Eagle Jolt keeping his solid form, after a second and two wins his last three starts.
"He's won two of his last three and in his latest, he just missed from out of the seven hole," MacIsaac said. "Landing on the pylons could provide an ideal journey therefore the road to the winners circle goes through this guy."
Other entries include Smiley Bayama (Ron Gass), The Big Bite (Gilles Barrieau), Starcastic (Ron Matheson), Mcjestic (Walter Cheverie) and Waterside Light (Kenny Arsenault).
The race 4 Open Trot lines up for a $1,950 purse with Professor Gordon getting his biggest test since relocating the East Coast. The Deanna Clow owned and trained four-year-old will have Vincent Poulton in the bike as he searches to extend his two-race Charlottetown unbeaten streak. The trotter will leave from post 4 as he faces off with Neal (Brian Andrew), Osprey Impact (Paul Larabee), Paymenowpaymelater (Barrieau), Zip The Lip (Brian MacPhee) and Frill Seeker (Arsenault).
For entries, top picks and live video go to www.redshores.ca
By Nicholas Oakes for Red Shores