A fantastic field of Open trotter headlines the Thursday evening program at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park.
The capital oval kicks off its 12-dash presentation at 6:30 p.m. (AST) with the $2,800 Open Trot hitting the track in Race 9.
Mile Hill Willie, co-holder of the male track trotting record, has rail control in his first start of the 2022 season in the Open with Gilles Barrieau back at the controls of the Paul Morrison trainee. Morrison co-owns the winner of 23 lifetime races with John Breau of Shediac Cape, N.B.
Daisy River is the morning line favourite from post seven with Paul Lanigan filling in the driving duties for trainer William Lanigan in the absence of regular pilot Jason Hughes.
The deeply competitive field has last week’s Open Trot winner Sailor Blue at 4-1 morning line odds from post six for driver Ken Murphy and trainer Jeff Holmes.
Jessiejesorjessica will make her Atlantic Canadian debut from post two for the first trot start of rookie driver Damian MacLellan’s career. The Jennifer Doyle trainee had been racing in Ohio and Pennsylvania where she won three races in 2021 and took a record of 1:55.2 over Northfield Park.
The "Post Time Picks" for Thursday’s card have Sailor Blue inserted in the win position but acknowledges how wide-open field is: “What a fantastic betting race this field will be. Go ahead and select virtually any combination and the argument could be made for why it makes sense. We’ll go with Sailor Blue from the red-hot Holmes stable but literally anything could happen in here.”
Also in the top trot are Incredible Two (to be driven by Kenny Arsenault), Labero (David Dowling), Suicide Shift (Harold Shepherd) and Windmeredontuworry (Corey MacPherson).
Race 5 is the Charlottetown Metal Products Pace as Heatherspet looks to break her maiden from post five for driver Corey MacPherson and owner/trainer Neil Bambrick of Charlottetown. The three-year-old Stonebridge Terror filly is the first foal from former Red Shores Charlottetown track record holder Whitesand Artist.
The Thursday card also has the first pair of pari-mutuel races for strictly two-year-old with freshman pacing fillies lining up in Races 2 and 6.
To view Thursday's harness racing entries, click on the following link: Thursday Entries - Charlottetown Driving Park.