A field of seven pacers will line up in the Saturday evening feature at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park and six of them will have their hooves full trying to beat D Gs Camme.
The race 12 feature has a purse of $2,400 with race favourite D Gs Camme drawing post five for driver Gilles Barrieau, trainer Jackie Matheson and owners Ron Matheson, Tom Clark and Quentin and Hal Bevan of Charlottetown. The five-year-old son of Blissfull Hall was one of the top pacers on the Eastern Seaboard in 2014, as he pocketed $41,725 in purse money racing in the Maritimes. He made his first start of the season last Saturday in the Cecil Ladner Memorial final in Charlottetown and went a tremendous trip for being the lone horse in the field coming off a long layoff. The Matheson trainee got away fifth in the five-horse field and moved out past the half to unleash a :55.2 final half, finishing second in 1:53 to race winner Big Surf. With a start under his belt, and Big Surf absent, it is D Gs Camme’s race to lose, according to race analyst Les MacIsaac.
“That was some back half he put up last week and what is more impressive is that it was his first start in eight months,” MacIsaac said. “He can only be tighter after that which is a scary thought for his opposition.”
His main opposition will come from his 2014 arch rival, All Turain, from post six with Corey MacPherson in the bike for trainer Trevor Hicken and owner Lee Hicken of Charlottetown. Other entries include Say It Again Sam (Jason Hughes), Cabo Pan Lucas (Vincent Poulton), Waterside Light (Hilliard Graves), Narragansett (Mark Bradley) and J Rs Hurricane (Gary Chappell).
The top mares in Eastern Canada go head-to-head in race nine in the $2,250 Fillies and Mares Open pace. Ramblinglily (Walter Cheverie) is the morning line choice off her 1:55.4 victory last Sunday in Summerside, with For All We Know (Gary Chappell) and Dirt Track Momma (Marc Campbell) pegged as her main opposition.
Pleasure Girls (MacPherson) puts a two-race win streak on the line in the race five $1,850 Open Trot in a field that includes Zip The Lip (Brian MacPhee), Frill Seeker (Kenny Arsenault) and Holy Molie Maggie (Cheverie) as the next choices.
Race three will see Parkhill Juggernaut make his East Coast debut for driver MacPhee, trainer Ambyr Campbell and owners Ambrose Laybolt and Michael Bailey of Morell, P.E.I. The five-year-old son of Ken Warkentin boasts a mark of 1:59 over a half-mile track and $58,058 in career earnings. He was claimed April 26 for $6,500 from Rideau Carleton Raceway in Ontario.
First race post time is 6 p.m. for Saturday's 13-dash card. The future stars of racing will make their debuts Saturday morning at Red Shores Charlottetown with nine-dashes of two-year-old baby races slated for 11:30 a.m.
Machinthesand Favored In Summerside Feature
A tight knit field of five will go bridle-to-bridle Sunday afternoon at Red Shores at the Summerside Raceway, with first race post time at 1 p.m. for the 11-dash card.
Machinthesand is the morning line choice for driver Norris Rogers, trainer Hughie Murphy and owners Noonan Holdings Ltd. and Russell and Karen Noonan. The six-year-old son of Mach Three has drawn post five in the group with his main opposition looking to come from the ultra-consistent pair of Oh To Be Me (Gary Chappell) and Carrera Angel (Rocky Schurman) from posts three and four, respectively. Bowyer Hanover (Walter Cheverie) has the rail in the $1,800 contest while American Captain (Mike Campbell) will leave from post two.
Deviliciously Good will look to remain undefeated on race six on the program and she has a good post position to help make it happen. The three-year-old Art Major filly has been unbeaten in two Summerside starts since being purchased in the January sale in New Jersey. She has the services of Mark Bradley for trainer Garth Cole and owner Blaine Thibeau of Kensington, P.E.I. She will face her biggest test to date Sunday, facing aged geldings like morning line favourite Mr Pogge (Mike McGuigan) and Bad Date (Jason Hughes).
The race nine, the afternoon back-up pace, has Tyber Champ favoured to bring home to lion’s share of the $1,600 purse for driver Corey MacPherson, trainer Frank Banks and owners Ron Neill of Charlottetown and Kent Livingston of Cornwall, P.E.I. The post two starter will face five rivals including Lucky Encounter (Rogers) and Athletic Putnam (Cheverie), who is riding a two-race win streak.
(With files from Red Shores)