Charlottetown, PE – It's an action packed weekend of harness racing with the PEI Colt Stakes at Red Shores at the Charlottetown Driving Park Saturday with post times at 1pm and 7pm. Red Shores Summerside presents a full card Sunday at 1pm with Machinthesand listed as the top gun the afternoon feature.
There are many headlines with the PEI Colt stakes now in its 81st year making it one of longest running programs in Canada. The two-year-old fillies get called to the starter first with Brookdale Liz labeled as the morning line favorite for NS driver Bernard McCallum.
The filly goes up against JJ Larissa, owned by Jamie MacKinley, Clyde River and Jody Sanderson, Doha, QT. The colts are up next with top gun Jackson K Down going for his seventh win of the campaign for Gilles Barrieau and the Downey Stables of Quispamsis, NB. while Dixie Lullaby, Heart and Soul and K D Overdrive put their streaks on the line in their respective divisions.
West River Ambyr, Elm Grove Kaboom and Hart of Windemere are favored to take their assignments.
In the evening card stakes' stars get underway on race 2 with Ultimatelyhandsome going for the top prize but the must see event of the weekend goes in race 5 when Proven Desire, who set a track record of 1:55 at Northside Downs for Marc Campbell, hooks up against Dixieland Band for trainer Kevin MacLean and Barrieau. Proven Desire has rail control. The PEI Colt Stakes hardware will also be presented in races 3, 6, 8,9 and 11.
Two divisions of the Atlantic Aged Mares pacing series are also in the spotlight. Ramblinglily is back in town riding a six race win streak in race 12. Walter Cheverie will do the driving for trainer Allan Jones. Best Risque, owned by Lillian, Kevin and Brian Ladner, is the classifier's choice in her division in race 7.
Cool One gets the top call in the MacPhee memorial pace in race 10 for driver Gordie Hennessey, trainer Shelley Hennessey and her co-owner Denise Andrew.
For a complete list of entries and live broadcast go to www.redshores.ca
Machinthesand headlines Sunday card in Summerside
Summerside, PE – Machinthesand has drawn the five hole in the afternoon top class Sunday at Red Shores Summerside. Post time is 1pm with the featured event scheduled for a 3:51pm start time.
Ken Murphy will be in the bike for trainer Hughie Murphy and the ownership group of Noonan Holdings Ltd – Russell and Karen Noonan. The pacing star is coming off a second place finish in Fredericton where he charted a closing quarter of 28.4 seconds and a mile of 1:56.2.
The six-year-old son of Mach Three is sharp could notch his 8th win of the season. It won't be easy. Bowyer Hanover (Walter Cheverie) leveled the competition in his last outing with J Rs Hurricane (Mike Stevenson), a regular triactor candidate, capable of knocking off the favorite too. The line-up also has Lucky Encounter (Kenny Arsenault) and Athletic Putnam (Dale Spence).
Murphy also has a live drive aboard Jays Little Spark in the Gail Shea – Egmont PC pace.
The historic Prince County oval will play host to the PEI Matinee finals.
For complete list of entries, Jared's picks and live broadcast go to www.redshores.ca
by Lee Drakes, for Red Shores