CHARLOTTETOWN, PE – A Maritime Champion faces off with a grizzled harness racing veteran in the Thursday evening top trot at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park.
The 11-dash Thursday card kicks off at 6 P.M. with the $2,500 featured trot lining up in race 7. The fastest Maritime bred trotter ever on the East Coast, Daisy River, will leave from post 2 in the class with Walter Cheverie back in the bike for owner-trainer William Lanigan of Montague.
The five-year-old daughter of Nikes Image set the record two starts back winning in 1:58.1, then followed it up with a third place dead-heat finish against the boys the next week. Star Photo has post 5 in the field for trainer-driver Jason Hughes after putting together a string of top three finishes the last three weeks but has so far been unable to knock off 'trotting King' Freddie, who is not entered to race this week. Glider Man gets the respect of morning line favourite from post 4 for driver Kenny Arsenault and conditioner Jennifer Doyle after a front-end mission in his latest to finish second in 1:58.3.
Race analyst Les MacIsaac will side with Star Photo for the win column in light of Freddie's absence. "Star Photo has gone three starts this year without a win which is an eternity for one as photogenic as he is," MacIsaac said. "We'll look for him to dispose of that goose egg tonight. "Other entries are Hop Up (To be driven by Corey MacPherson) and Missionoftheheart (David Dowling).
The top pace of the evening lines up behind the gate in race 10 for a $2,200 pot with Southwind Ion dropping out of the Open Fillies and Mares class to earn the title of morning line favourite. Driven by Hughes for trainer Doyle, the six-year-old daughter of Sportswriter is owned by Danny Birt of Earnescliffe in partnership with Doyle. Much Adoo has garnered minor shares in all four of her East Coast starts, all at the Open level, and drops down a notch on Thursday for driver Brodie MacPhee and trainer Ron Matheson. Sophist leaves from post 4 in the class as rookie driver Taylor Doyle will look for his first lifetime win in Charlottetown.
Go to Redshores.ca for race programs and live video and wager online at HPIBet.com.
By Nicholas Oakes, for Red Shores