The greatest field of two eliminations in the history of the Governor’s Plate, presented by Summerside Chrysler Dodge, lines up Friday evening (July 8) at Red Shores at the Summerside Raceway.
The Prince County, P.E.I. oval will decide the field for next Saturday’s (July 16) $30,000 final in two eliminations with the top four from each dash advancing forward and the bottom four going to the Bob Dewar Memorial consolation. The 13-dash Friday program has a 6:30 p.m. start time.
The first eight-horse elimination lines up in Race 11 and although Time To Dance went down to defeat his last start, he is pegged as the morning line favourite in the $6,000 event from Post 6. Marc Campbell trains and drives the six-year-old by A Rocknroll Dance for owners Brent Campbell and Matt McDonald. The defending Governor’s Plate champion has scored three wins from five starts this season including a recent victory in the $6,000 Walter Dale Memorial at Exhibition Park Raceway in Saint John, N.B.
The 2020 Governor’s Plate champion Bugsy Maguire has rail control in the dash with Redmond Doucet Jr., picking up the catch drive for trainer Wade Sorrie and owner Walter Simmons of Summerside, P.E.I.
Twin B Tuffenuff will look for his first East Coast victory from Post 5 with Gilles Barrieau at the lines for trainer Ron Matheson. The Rocknroll Heaven stallion was a winner in 1:50.4 at The Meadowlands in New Jersey earlier this year.
Also in the first elimination field are Screen Test (to be driven by Corey MacPherson), Rose Run Quest (Adam Merner), Always B Sweet (David Dowling), American Risk (Todd Trites) and Racemup (Brodie MacPhee).
The "Backstretch Beat" in Friday’s program places Time To Dance back on top: “Time To Dance may hit some bumps along the way but he is probably the greatest free-for-aller ever to grace the Eastern Seaboard of Canada. We think that shows through today and see nothing standing in his way.”
Race 13 is the second $6,000 elimination with Rotten Ronnie riding his 2022 perfection into Post 3 for driver Doucet, trainer Lennan MacIsaac and owners Redmond Doucet Sr. and Andy Stewart of Inverness, N.S. The Malicious stallion has three straight wins this year including a 1:52.4 victory in the Cecil Ladner Memorial his last start.
Batterup Hanover also won his Ladner division on June 25 while defeating Time To Dance and has Post 6 on Friday. Paul Langille trains and drives the Betting Line gelding for Nova Scotia owners Chantel and Rosanne Langille, Debbie Francis and Douglas Lowthers.
No Plan Intended (Dowling) has Post 4 as he will look to settle the score with Post 5 starter Beachin Lindy (Stephen Charlton). Beachin Lindy was the victor in their latest start in Red Shores Charlottetown Preferred action.
Also in the second elimination are Bettim Again (Trites), Island Beach Boy (Barrieau), Blood Money (Campbell) and Merito Hanover (Jason Hughes).
The program also has a pair of Ruby Chappell Memorial Open Mares eliminations in Race 7 and 9.
Take in the world class harness racing action live at the track or tune in online at Redshores.ca. Red Shores and HPI has launched new promotions for Governor’s Plate week with complete details at HPIbet.com. On track customers will also be able to enjoy some new tarmac programming throughout the week.
To view Friday's harness racing entries, click on the following link: Friday Entries - Summerside Raceway.
(Red Shores)