Charlottetown, PE – The live harness racing program slated for Saturday afternoon at 12:30pm will now go Monday night at 6pm at Red Shores Racetrack & Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park. Red Shores, along with harness racing officials, made the announcement as Prince Edward Island deals with heavy rain in the forecast.
The Sunday program will go as scheduled at 12:30pm.
Stallions will outnumber the geldings as the top pacers head to the gate in the preferred pace Sunday afternoon at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park.
The 14-dash presentation kicks off at 12:30 P.M. with the Preferred pace lining up in race 13 for a $2,650 pot.
Rollwithitharry gets top billing from post 4 in the compact field of five. Walter Cheverie gets the catch driving call behind the 10-year-old son of Rocknroll Hanover for trainer Jackie Matheson and owner Woodmere Farms of Marshfield, P.E.I.
Absent from the racing scene for over three years, Rollwithitharry has been standing stud on P.E.I., and returns to racing after successfully selling his first crop at public auction this past month.
The pacer was a convincing winner in 1:56.2 in his latest start but goes up a notch on the class ladder to find some warhorses that have been slugging it out every week.
Winter Blast defeated his foes in last week's Preferred pace and gets the rail to work from this week for driver Jason Hughes and conditioner Jennifer Doyle.
Three Truths saw his hot streak come to an end last week with a sixth place finish ending his top three streak. Kenny Arsenault will again drive the son of Shadow Play with an improved post this week as he scores 2. Not to forget Czar Seelster, who has been a force on the Invitational circuit all season and will look for revenge after a fourth place finish in his latest with Mike McGuigan at the lines. IC True Grit rides a trio of top three finishes into the event with post 3 for driver Ron Matheson.
Race analyst Les MacIsaac like the fresh demeanour of Rollwithitharry to put it all together.
"His back class really showed up last week when he left an excellent field in the dust," MacIsaac said of Rollwithitharry. "These will be tougher but off that performance and with the aforementioned back class, it's hard to rule out a repeat."
The back-up pace on the program hits the track in race 10 for a $2,350 pot with Pictonian Storm leaving off the rail, looking to help rookie driver Austin Sorrie knock off Corey MacPherson and make history.
The 19-year-old Montague driver is in the midst of a red-hot first season in the race bike with 28 wins going into the weekend while MacPherson holds the record for most wins by a first-year driver on P.E.I. with 31 wins in his 2009 rookie campaign. Sorrie, who already holds the distinction of recording the fastest win by a rookie driver on the East Coast, has 12 drives between the Saturday and Sunday programs at Red Shores Charlottetown to help his drive to the history books.
Prettyndangerous Aims For Repeat In Open Mares Monday Night
The top pacing mares on Prince Edward Island convene for a rare Monday meeting with some young talent in the mix at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park.
The 12-dash Monday night program kicks off at 6 P.M. at the capital oval. Race 11 has the $2,350 fillies and mares Open pace with Prettyndangerous looking for a repeat performance from post 3. David Dowling will look to add to his solid first full season driving on the East Coast with the Bo Ford trained mare.
The daughter of Armbro Deuce rides a quadruple of top three finishes into the event for owners Ford and Arnold Myers of Charlottetown, P.E.I., but races in an event with some new blood this week. R Es Shabla's stakes career is officially over and now the talented sophomore daughter of Pang Shui will move into aged competition, getting post 1 for the biggest test of her career with Mike McGuigan in the bike.
Collective Wisdom has been knocking on the door in each of her Open starts but loses regular pilot Gilles Barrieau, who has moved his stable back to New Brunswick. That gives the opportunity to rookie driver Drew Neill to pick up the lines of the 3-1 second choice in the morning line for trainer Jackie Matheson.
Race analyst Les MacIsaac sees a repeat performance of last week in the future of Prettyndangerous.
"Prettyndangerous has been looking more like her old self in recent weeks and last time out was a fairly comfortable winner," MacIsaac said. "Since she's facing many of the same rivals today from an improved post we won't rule out a repeat."
Other entries include Drivingthedragon N (Driven by Jason Hughes), Julep Hanover (Wade Myers), West River Ambyr (Steven Shepherd) and Killean Finale (Ken Murphy).
The $1,950 Open trot hits the track in race 6 with Majian Tango looking to rectify his break as the betting favourite in last week's edition of this race. Jim Ripley trains and drives the son of Tad The Stud from post 2 and is again installed as the morning line favourite. Maritime Champion Buddy White has drawn post 1 as he moves out of stakes competition into the Open ranks for driver Adam Merner and trainer Blayne White of Belle River, P.E.I.
For race programs, top picks and live broadcast go to www.redshores.ca
By Nicholas Oakes, for Red Shores