The very best two-year-old pacers that the East Coast has to offer will be at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park for the Saturday afternoon program as the capital oval plays host to a doubleheader program featuring the P.E.I. Colt Stakes, with cards scheduled for 1:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. (Atlantic).
The 12-dash afternoon program features the P.E.I. Colt Stakes for two-year-old pacing colts and fillies. The pacing colts have four $6,200 divisions in races three, five, seven, and 10. Doublejacksandaces leads the field in race three with Jason Hughes in the bike from post four for owner Donald MacRae. The two-year-old son of Shadow Play set his lifetime best of 1:59.3 in his latest outing.
Race five has Oceanview Magnum strutting his impressive summary of three wins and three seconds into post four with P.E.I.'s leading driver Marc Campbell at the lines for trainer Earl Watts and owners Harris Johnston, Roger Burns, John Howatt, and Claude Poirier.
Summerside Raceway track record holder Sock It Away tasted defeat for the first time in his six-race career in his latest start and has post two in P.E.I. Colt Stakes action in race seven with Campbell driving for trainer Kevin MacLean and owner Reg MacPherson as the morning-line favorite.
Half Cut dealt Sock It Away his first lifetime loss but will draw clear of that foe in race 10 with Mark Bradley driving for trainer Tom Weatherbie. The son of Stonebridge Terror has post fiveon Saturday for owners Kyle and Joseph Gardiner, Michael Currie and Jerry MacKinnon.
The two-year-old pacing fillies line up in $7,400 P.E.I. Colt Stakes divisions in races four, eight, and 11.
Race 4 will see if Royaltywestho can add to her four wins on the season from five starts, as the pacing filly sports over $20,000 in the bank for trainer Joseph Baxter who co-owns with Gregory Francis. Walter Cheverie drives the pacer as she looks to overcome post eight in her Saturday event.
Saulsbrook Coral is the morning-line choice in race eight with rail control for driver Todd Trites, trainer Earl Watts and owner Daniel Ross.
Race 11 has Chocolate Terror with post five for driver Paul Langille as top choice. The daughter of Stonebridge Terror has seven top-three finishes from nine seasonal starts for trainer Cyril MacDonald and owner David Livingstone of Halifax.
Traces Of Purple made it known Old Home Week that she was the new divisional leader among sophomore pacing fillies and will look to continue that trend with rail control on the second half of the P.E.I. Colt Stakes doubleheader.
The 12-dash card has a 7:00 p.m. first race post time with the Robert Phillips-trained Traces Of Purple leaving from post one in the seventh race of the program, a $7,600 division of the P.E.I. Colt Stakes for three-year-old pacing fillies. Gilles Barrieau drives the morning-line favourite for Phillips, who shares ownership with Kevin Harvey. The other filly splits hit the track in races two and 10.
Elektra Express rides her summary of nine wins and three seconds from just 11 starts into race two with post two for trainer-driver Marc Campbell and owner Danica Ellis. The daughter of Western Paradise will look to add to her seasonal total of $45,011 in purses.
Newly minted Maritimer champion Kinda Like Her will leave from post six in the $7,600 tenth race for trainer Sean Dooley and owner Dooley Boys Racing Stable.
A quartet of P.E.I. Colt Stakes divisions hit the track in races one, four, eight, and 11 for $6,300 purses.
Mick Dundee was exceptional in his latest outing, setting a lifetime best of 1:55.1 for owner-trainer-driver Don MacNeill but must overcome post seven as the morning-line choice in his P.E.I. Colt Stakes split. Dial The Bossman is the morning-line favourite in race four, with Jason Hughes driving for trainer Tom Weatherbie and owner Doug MacPhee, while Ashes To Ashes has rail control in race eight for trainer Jackie Matheson and owners Alan Conway, Lynn Livingstone and Linda Somers with Barrieau in the driver's seat. Race 11 will see Mighty Cowboy with rail control as top choice for trainer-driver Darren Crowe and owner David MacDonald.
The Atlantic Aged Pacing Mares series has divisions in races three and five for $3,620 purses on the evening card.
Saturday will also cap the final race card for longtime Charlottetown track maintenance specialist Randy Doyle, who will be retiring next week. The Charlottetown resident has been part of numerous track records tending to the surface of the half-mile track during his 33 years of service.
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(Red Shores)