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  • Kyle Burton
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Sock It Away Paces Into History Books

By Nicholas Oakes For Red Shores

SUMMERSIDE, PE – A few track records fall every season but for one to be demolished by a two-year-old making his first lifetime start is something special but that is exactly what happened Thursday night at Red Shores at the Summerside Raceway as part of Governor’s Plate Week racing.

Sock It Away capitalized off large front end fractions set by Rockin Party and Danny Romo, en route to a 1:56 victory in the first pari-mutuel start of his career destroying the 1:57.3 track record for two-year-old colt pacers held by Shadversary and Instant Shadow. Heart And Soul held the overall two-year-old male pacing record as a gelding in 1:56.2 before Sock It Away’s performance. The $9,320 Atlantic Sires Stakes A-division had Rockin Party lay down fractions of 29 and 57.3 before Sock It Away brushed to the lead and took over through a three-quarter rating of 1:27.1 and unleashed a 28.4 closer to score the track record mile. Marc Campbell was in the bike behind the two-year-old son of Pang Shui for trainer Kevin MacLean and owner Reg MacPherson of Stratford. Tangled Mind (Gilles Barrieau) was second with Rockin Party hanging on for third.

Campbell had four driving wins on the card including a 2:01.1 victory in another $9,320 Atlantic Sires Stakes two-year-old pacing colts A-division aboard Oceanview Magnum for trainer Earl Watts and owners Harris Johnston and John Howatt of Charlottetown, Rogers Burns of North Rustico and Claude Poirier of Havre-Aux-Maisons, Que. Second place went to Tobins Optimism (Barrieau) with Buddy Mach (Jason Hughes) third.

Dustylanewesty overcame a break early in the mile to win the final $9,320 A-division in 2:00.2 for trainer-driver Clare MacDonald and owners Ian Tate of St. Andrew’s, N.S. and Riley Farms Ltd., of Summerside. Mister Dulce (Rod Gillis) carved out the fractions to finish second with Weekend Atnannies (Mike McGuigan) completing the triactor.

The trio of $2,500 Atlantic Sires Stakes B-divisions for two-year-old pacing colts were won by The Colonel (Kenny Arsenault) in 2:02.3, Gringo Star (Adam Merner) in 2:03.3 and Haybartender (Merner) in 2:02.4.

Driver Hughes had a driving double on the program winning with Denver Dolly in 1:58> for conditioner Jennifer Trainor of Earnescliffe and with Celebrate Your Bet in 2:02.2 for owner Doug Matheson of Mt. Albion.

Race 4 on the program saw an accident going to the seven-eighths pole as Thegreatmaelstorm and driver Ken Murphy were interfered with and fell to the track. Murphy walked away from the incident unscathed while the colt sustained some scraps to one knee.

Author: Kyle Burton
Kyle is best known as the track photographer at Truro Raceway. He has been a regular contributor to Atlantic Post Calls, Trot Magazine and Standardbred Canada. Kyle is also the website developer for the Atlantic Standardbred Breeders Association.