The top trotters in eastern Canada will do battle Thursday night at Red Shores’ Charlottetown Driving Park, as the P.E.I. Colt Stakes will be the highlight of the 12-dash card that kicks off at 7 p.m.
The program features three divisions of the P.E.I. Colt Stakes for two-year-old trotters (Race 1, 3 and 5).
The $4,000 division in Race 1 features the undefeated Paymenowpaymelater from Post 4 in the compact five-horse-field. Marc Campbell will be in the bike for trainer Earl Watts and owner Wade Peconi of Breadalbane. The Northern Bailey filly will have to defeat Wait For Me (to be driven by Mark McKinnon) and Oceanview Roz (Mike Stevenson) to keep her six-race win streak intact.
Race 3 has Windemere Ty favoured off the rail for driver Jack Panting, who co-owns with his grandfather, trainer Ralph Annear of Montague. His main rivals are Bayriver (Paul Lanigan) and BJ Matador (Bert Honkoop).
Race 5 has a pair of the top two-year-old trotters tangoing with Tyne Valley off the rail for driver Stevenson and owner-trainer William Roloson and co-owners Scott Roloson, both of Belfast, and Kristi Pickering of Charlottetown. Summerside Raceway track record holder Suicide Shift has Post 4 for co-owner and driver Steven Shepherd, co-owner and trainer Harold Shepherd, both of Stratford, and co-owner Margo Fisher of New Brunswick.
The three-year-old trotters will line up in Race 4, 7 and 9.
Dusty Lane Galaxy headlines the $4,300 division in Race 4 for trainer-driver Gary Chappell and owners Peter Buchanan of North Wiltshire and the Estate of George Boswall. The P Js Nabby trotter is riding a no-worse-than-second record in 2014, including taking a new lifetime mark of 2:02.3 in his last outing. He will face challenges from Seanchai (Jason Hughes) and JK Hustler (Walter Cheverie).
BJ Comanche headlines Race 7 with Clare MacDonald driving for owner-trainer Bert Honkoop of Montague. The Bo W colt has also not finished worse than second this year and will face five rivals including Phantom Beau (Kenny Arsenault) and Glencove Yoshi (Marc Campbell).
Race 9 has Southfield Shadow favored for driver Terry Gallant, trainer Thane Mann and owner Southfield Farms Inc., of Summerside. Other top entries include Villager (Brian MacPhee) and Dunmore Chance (Jack Panting).
The Open trotters line up in Race 8 for a $1,850 purse with Frill Seeker the favourite from Post 3, fresh off a 2:00.4 victory for trainer-driver Arsenault and owner Ebbsfleet Stable of Stratford, Ont. The seven-horse-field also includes Pleasure Girls (Ron Gass) and Zip The Lip (MacPhee).
To view the harness racing entries for Thursday at the CDP, click the following link: Thursday Entries – Charlottetown Driving Park.
(Red Shores)