The top nine horses advanced to the Guardian Gold Cup and Saucer final but a star-studded field of eight will contest the James (Roach) MacGregor consolation race on Friday evening (August 20) at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park with a record on the line.
The Friday program gets underway at 7 p.m., featuring the Gold Cup and Saucer consolation in the final dash of the 13-race card.
Mikey Camden laid down a 1:51.3 trip in his Gold Cup and Saucer trial but failed to advance to the final for driver David Dowling, trainer Corey Johnson and owners Debbie Element and Raymond Huschka. He gets post two and will attempt to be part of a record-breaking consolation mile. To date, the fastest Gold Cup and Saucer consolations saw 1:52.1 trips in the 2011 edition won by Secret Weapon (driven by Scott Young) as well as the 2019 race by Make Some Luck (Jody Jamieson). There are a few entries in Friday’s race that appear capable of upsetting that record.
Avatar J gets the respect of the race office as the morning line favourite with Gilles Barrieau in the seat for trainer Danny MacDonald after a 1:51.3 fourth place finish in trial two.
Peter MacPhee sees a bounce back performance from Mikey Camden as he puts him in the win position of the Post Time Picks. “Mikey Camden was on the edges in the trial, but when you look closer at the chart line, he was closing hard at the wire. He lines up in a prime-time spot and we’re betting David will be aggressive from the hop, so if they do clear to the lead, it could be lights out.”
Also in the field are Rose Run Quest (Corey MacPherson), Bugsy Maguire (Austin Sorrie), Hitman Hill (Kenny Arsenault), Blood Money (Dr. Mitchell Downey), Outkast Blue Chip (Brodie MacPhee) and Sir Pugsley (Jason Hughes).
The program also features a pair of $18,420 Lady Slipper Gold divisions for three-year-old pacing fillies in Races 9 and 11.
Go to Redshores.ca for live video, race programs and information on attending Gold Cup Week 2021. Wager online at HPIBet.com.
To view Friday's harness racing entries, click on the following link: Friday Entries - Charlottetown Driving Park.
(Red Shores)