CHARLOTTETOWN, PE – The King of Island harness racing again reigned supreme during Maritime Breeder's elimination action for three-year-old pacers Saturday night at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park.
Marc Campbell swept both $3,000 eliminations for three-year-old pacing fillies off the front end as a trainer-driver with Elektra Express posting the fastest divisional win with a 1:55.4 victory for owner Danica Ellis of Nova Scotia. Kinda Like Her (Kenny Arsenault) was second, with Traces Of Purple (Walter Cheverie) third and Tobins Secret (Earl Smith) finishing fourth to also earn her way into next Saturday's (June 17) Ken Starrat Memorial Maritime Breeder's final.
Filly Forty Seven won the other split with a front end mission of 1:56.1 with trainer Campbell in the bike for owners Darryl MacLean of Winsloe, Katelyn Smallwood of Stratford, Corey Carver of Montague and Tanya Tremblett of Nova Scotia. Second place went to Bonzai Beach (Clare MacDonald) with Elm Grove Ladyluck (Gilles Barrieau) and Oceanview Beemer (Smith) also advancing to the championship final.
In the three eliminations for three-year-old pacing colts, Island Energetic recorded the fastest time winning in 1:55.4 to give the Campbell stable a training and driving Saturday triple and the colt now boasts a six-race win streak. The three-year-old son of Articulator used first over tactics to wear down pacesetter Ashes To Ashes (Barrieau) and establish himself as the one to beat in Saturday's Doug Harkness Memorial Maritime Breeder's final for pacing colts. Island Energetic is owned by Grayland Farms and Bernadette Burgess, both of Nova Scotia. Ashes To Ashes was second with Nameisonthehalter (Corey MacPherson) getting the show prize and advancing to the final.
Ic A Free Spirit was victorious in his elimination for trainer-driver-owner Ernie Laffin of Nova Scotia in 1:57.4. Carters Caper (MacDonald) was second with Cowboys Dont Cry (MacPherson) finishing third and earning a berth in the Maritime Breeder's Final.
Complete Player and Mark Bradley converted a pocket ride into a trip to the winner's circle in his $3,000 elimination for trainer Tom Weatherbie and owner David Kennedy of Charlottetown. The 1:56.3 mile saw Tobinator (MacPherson) finish second with Johnny Moe (Campbell) finishing third but failing to advance to Saturday's final as the slowest third place finisher in the three eliminations.
The preferred pace saw Give Em Heck upset the field as the longest shot on the board. At 11-1 odds, Barrieau mapped out a perfect two-hole trip to brush past pacesetter Adkins Hanover (MacPherson) late in the 1:55.3 mile while Oh To Be Me (Gary Chappell) finished third. Colin Sheppard of Newfoundland owns the six-year-old pacer with Jackie Matheson doing the training.
Bradley, Barrieau and Ken Murphy all recorded driving doubles on the card while Matheson had a pair of training victories.
Live racing continues at Red Shores Charlottetown Thursday night at 6:30 P.M. and Saturday with a 6 P.M. first race post time.
Mando Fun Repeats At Summerside; Grand Slam For Campbell
The Sunday afternoon feature saw Mando Fun victorious again this week at Red Shores at the Summerside Raceway.
Dale Spence drove the four-year-old son of Badlands Hanover for co-owner and trainer Paul Biggar of Tyne Valley and co-owner Donald Callbeck of Kensington to a 1:57.4 victory. D Bs Rosco (Kenny Arsenault) did all the roadwork in the $2,300 event laying down fractions of 28.2, 59.1 and 1:28.2 before being collared late and finishing second with Narragansett (Jason Hughes) getting the show prize.
Mando Fun's win gave Spence a Sunday driving double as he visited the winner's circle earlier on the program with Woodmere Fools Son in 2:02.4.
Rash B Havior recorded the fastest mile of the program with a 1:57.1 victory as part of a driving grand slam for leading driver Marc Campbell. Owner Mike Peters of Emyvale also trains the seven-year-old son of Lis Mara as he recorded his 24th lifetime win with all but one of those victories coming under Peters' tutelage. The first-over Sunday afternoon journey turned into a four-and-three-quarter length victory for Rash B Havior over Instant Shadow (Hughes) and George (Walter Cheverie). Campbell's other three driving wins came aboard Sandinista in 1:58.1 for trainer Clair Sweet of O'Leary, Bet Er All in 1:58.2 for trainer Ralph Sweet of O'Leary and The Jig Is Up in a 2:01.2 maiden breaking performance for trainer Earl Watts of Hampshire.
Watts had a training triple of his own on the afternoon card as he teamed up with driver Gary Chappell for a pair of victories with Woodmere Lukypercy in 2:02 and Windemere Rene in 2:01.1.
Windemere Johny, trained by Phil Sizer, was another Chappell winner as part of a Sunday afternoon driving triple for the Charlottetown horseman.
For complete results go to www.redshores.ca.
By Nicholas Oakes For Red Shores