The stage is set for a busy weekend of harness racing at Red Shores locations, as an 11-dash Saturday card has been assembled for the Charlottetown Driving Park, while Summerside Raceway will host both the Ruby Chappell Stakes and the Bob Dewar Stakes.
First-race post time for CDP’s Saturday card is 6 p.m.
Big Surf will make his seasonal debut and will start from Post 1 in the card’s $2,400 feature race Saturday. Marc Campbell will be in the race bike to handle the Trevor Hicken trainee, who is heading into the dash off of an impressive 1:57.4 qualifier that included a :27.4 closing panel.
The son of Somebeachsomewhere will go up against Outside The Wire, who scorched Summerside Raceway in 1:55 on opening day for Jason Hughes and conditioner Craig Avery. Hicken will also send out his other stable star, All Turain, from Post 6 for the red-hot Corey MacPherson. Darth Bader (to be driven by Kenny Arsenault), Tempo Seelster (Vince Poulton) and American Terror (Ed Harvey) will also contest the feature. All Turain has been installed as the 5-2 favourite on the morning line.
The program will also feature the open trotters in Race 3, and Pleasure Girls has received the early edge over Zip The Lip and Frill Seeker.
Fly With Max is getting comfortable in the winner’s circle, as he has recorded two wins and two seconds since relocating from Flamboro Downs in Ontario. Terry Gallant will drive for trainer Earl Watts and owners Wade Peconi, Stanchel, Nicholas Peconi Jr., Lakefield, Ont. This team is going for their third victory in a row in Race 5.
To view the harness racing entries for Saturday at the CDP, click the following link: Saturday Entries – Charlottetown Driving Park.
SUNDAY AT SUMMERSIDE
Summerside will go primetime Sunday with four divisions of the Ruby Chappell Stakes for three-year-old fillies and four splits of the Bob Dewar Stakes for three-year-old colts on the afternoon program.
First-race post time for the card will be 1 p.m.
The fillies take the stage first with Three Pink Bows and Danny Romo as the heavy early favourite in Race 2. Jann Down, who banked $46,484 in earnings last year, could give Gilles Barrieau his first trip to victory lane. Swift Taylor, Elm Grove Joanette and Woodmere Articblue will hook up in the third Chappell memorial contest with Invader M looking for a piece of the hardware in the final stakes dash for owner Reg MacPherson, trainer Kevin MacLean and driver Corey MacPherson. The filly is well prepped for the task, as she is coming in off of two strong performances in Charlottetown. MacLean’s other trainee, Dixieland Band, is back home to compete in the first division of the Bob Dewar Memorial in Race 7. The colt will go up against six contenders including Arnold Dick off the rail for his co-owners Vance Cameron and Michael Gallant, Summerside.
Customers will be greeted to a list of new promotions, including the Super High 5, Pik 3 and Pik 4. On-track players will be offered the Pick 5, Wild Horses tags on Races 2-14 with jackpots and ‘Set for Summer’ promo where customers have a chance to qualify to win weekly prizes with the grand prize of $1,000 a week for 10 weeks being drawn on the first day of summer, June 21.
To view the harness racing entries for Sunday at Summerside, click the following link: Sunday Entries – Summerside Raceway.
(With files from Red Shores)