Best in The Maritimes set for championship finals at Red Shores Charlottetown

By Nicholas Oakes for Red Shores
 
CHARLOTTETOWN, PE – The Atlantic Canadian weekend of champions takes center stage Saturday and Sunday at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park.
 
The very best Atlantic Canadian racing and breeding has to offer will be on display Sunday afternoon with a 15-dash card getting underway at 1 pm. The card features four $22,000 Atlantic Breeders Crown finals for the pacing divisions along with a pair of $9,000 finals for the two-and-three-year-old trotters.
 
Time Warp is the favorite in the race 5 $9,000 Atlantic Breeder’s Crown Meridian Farms Louis McIsaac memorial two-year-old trot final for trainer-driver Danny MacDonald and owners Boyd MacDonald Produce of Crapaud, Daniel Ross of Belfast, William Andrew of Calgary and Brian Andrew of Milton. Her main competition comes from Craigh Na Dun (Gilles Barrieau) and Unsinkableone (Ron Gass).
 
Race 7 has the three-year-old trotters in their Atlantic Sires Stakes – Meridian Farms Erwin Andrew final for a $9,000 purse with Paymenowpaymelater riding a three race win streak for driver Marc Campbell, trainer Earl Watts and owner Wade Peconi of Stanchel. She will face challenges from Windemere Ty (Jack Panting) and JK Blaze (Mike Stevenson).
 
The two-year-old pacing fillies are featured in race 9 for a $22,000 purse with divisional leader West River Ambyr favoured from post 3 for trainer-driver Clare MacDonald, who co-owns with daughter Haley MacDonald, both of Antigonish, N.S. Other favorites are Amirightorwrong (Scott Hubbard) and Brookdale Liz (Bernard McCallum).
 
Race 11 will be a hard fought battle in a division flooded with talent as the two-year-old pacing colts look to settle scores in a $22,000 final. Jack K Down has the inside post 2 for driver Barrieau, trainer Stephen Mason and owner Downey Stables of Quispamsis, N.B. CDP track record holder Heart And Soul is saddled with post 7 for trainer-driver MacDonald, while fellow Mason stable entry KD Overdrive has post 4 at 7-2 with Campbell picking up the catch drive.
 
The three-year-old pacing filly crown is up for grabs in race 13 with no clear cut favourite. Dustylane Msvickie has been hot lately and has post 3 for trainer-driver Campbell and owner Grayland Farm of Pugwash, N.S. She will face an even matched group including Three Pink Bows (Danny Romo) and Maritime Breeder’s champion Jann Down (Barrieau), who will attempt to capture the second leg of her divisional triple crown.

The glamour boys of racing line up in race 15 with the three-year-old pacing colts renewing their rivalry for a $22,000 pot. Dixieland Band (Barrieau) is the morning line choice from post 5 for trainer Kevin Maclean and owners Reg MacPherson and David MacKenzie of Stratford and Aaron MacKenzie of Winsloe, while arch-rival Proven Desire (Campbell) is burdened with post 8. Dixieland Band and Proven Desire have met in five of the last six stakes engagements and seemingly whoever makes front wins as neither seems capable of fighting past the other. That could all change Sunday afternoon.
 
The Sunday program also features the $5,000 Breeder’s Crown Invitational Pace in race 14 with Clic K riding a six-race-win-streak from post 2 for driver MacDonald, trainer Jackie Matheson and owners PLO Stables of Donagh. Other entries in the field of six include stablemate D Gs Camme (Barrieau) and All Turain (Todd Trites).
 
A field of eight pacing mares meet in race 10 for a $3,000 purse with General Luckypercy favoured off the rail for driver Barrieau, trainer Matheson and owner Jodi Lynn Matheson of Charlottetown.
 
Saturday
 
Saturday afternoon features a 13-dash card at Red Shores Charlottetown with four $5,000 pacing consolation for the Atlantic Sires Stakes in races 6, 8, 10 and 12. The Saturday action gets underway at 1 pm and also features a full-field of Open trotters in race 4 for a $1,950 purse.
 
For entries/results, Les’ Picks and access to the Bell-Aliant Race Day show go to www.redshores.ca