CHARLOTTETOWN, PE – The East Coast has been nothing but kind to Doctor Royal and the pacer will look to keep his streak alive Saturday evening at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park.
The Dawn Ellis Abbott harness racing trainee rides a three-race win streak into the race 8 featured pace on the 9-dash Saturday program at the capital oval. First race post time is 6 P.M.
Gilles Barrieau is back at the lines of Doctor Royal after teaming up to win the first two featured events of the season on P.E.I., combined with a top class win at the horse's home turf of Truro Raceway of Nova Scotia to give him three straight wins. Mick Dundee was closing the gap in last week's featured event and will get rail control for Saturday's $2,900 contest for trainer-driver Don MacNeill. Euchred was a force to be reckoned with in 2018 on the Invitational circuit and comes into the Saturday feature fresh off a 1:58.1 victory for new trainer-driver David Dowling.
Race analyst Les MacIsaac will side with Doctor Royal getting to the wire first.
"Doctor Royal has been assigned the outside post but that's the consequences of a three race win streak," MacIsaac said. "Until he shows he's vulnerable the road to the winners circle goes through him."
Also in the field is Revenant (Driven by Adam Merner) and Adkins Hanover (Corey MacPherson).
Sodwana Bay was nothing short of superb in 2018 and will make her seasonal debut in race 9 of the program in the $2,800 Fillies and Mares Open Pace. The Barrieau trained and driven pacer is fresh off a 2:00.3 qualifier at her winter base of Exhibition Park Raceway in New Brunswick for owners Wayne MacRae of Fall River, N.S., and Howmac Farms Ltd., of North Wilshire. Other top entries include Innocent Kiss (Merner) and Prettyndangerous (Dowling).
May 20, 2019
Soccer Hanover Set To Kick Off 2019 Red Shores Summerside Season
SUMMERSIDE, PE – The 2019 live harness racing season kicks off with a special Victoria Day program on Monday afternoon at Red Shores at the Summerside Raceway.
The 9-dash card kicks off the action at 1 P.M., with a tight knit group to contest the race 8 featured pace. The $2,600 event has Soccer Hanover the morning line favourite from post 2 with David Dowling receiving the catch driving call from owner-trainer Leith Waite of Summerside. The five-year-old son of Dragon Again has been no worse than second from a pair of seasonal outings including a 1:56.1 new lifetime best on opening day at Red Shores Charlottetown. Screen Test has rail control behind the starting gate with Corey MacPherson at the lines for trainer Stephen Gass. A newcomer to Island racing, Screen Test was a third place finisher to Soccer Hanover in his first start in Eastern Canada. Iron tough aged race horse Red Magician is listed as second choice in the morning line with Adam Merner back in the bike for trainer Melissa Rennie.
Also in the field is Mando Fun (Driven by Dale Spence) and Confident Fella (Mike McGuigan).
The afternoon finale will serve as the back-up class on opening day at the Prince County oval. Emperor is pegged as the one to beat in the $2,200 event going postward in race 9. MacPherson will be in the race bike for owner-trainer Ralph Sweet of O'Leary from post 6. Ultimatelyhandsome is the 3-1 second choice form post 4 with Merner in the bike for trainer Sifroi Melanson while Coasttocoastshark is another top entry from post 2 the combination of driver Ken Murphy and trainer Jeff Wallace.
Catch all the action live at the track or at www.Redshores.ca.
By Nicholas Oakes
For Red Shores