Field set for Cecil Ladner Memorial Invitational Pace

The finest pacers dotting the eastern seaboard of Canada will meet at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park on Saturday. The 11-dash card begins at 6 p.m., with the $5,000 Cecil Ladner Memorial Invitational Pace lining up in the evening finale. Ladner was a pivotal organizer and supporter of Island racing up until his death in 2005, when he was serving on the board of Harness Racing P.E.I.

The lifelong horseman owned a number of top competitors, including stakes-winner Rouge Baron, Gold Cup and Saucer finalist Back From The Past and hard-hitting overnight horses like Legend Killean, Dunachton Nukes and GOK.

Saturday, the fastest standardbreds east of Quebec will put their noses on the starting gate in his honour.

Mr Irresistible, driven by Charlottetown’s leading driver Marc Campbell, was a decisive winner in last Saturday’s preferred pace in 1:55.1 over a sloppy track that had a twosecond variant. Campbell will drive the five-year-old son of Mister Big again this week, and gets rail control as the favourite for trainer Jennifer Trainor and owner Danny Birt of Stratford. Goliath Reigns has Post 2 at 6-1 odds after shipping in from competition at Truro Raceway for trainer Dawn Ellis and driver Todd Trites after winning in 1:56.2 over the Nova Scotia halfmile oval on June 11.

Post 3 has Nogreatmischief with 12-1 odds for co-owner, trainer and driver Walter Cheverie of Nine Mile Creek and co-owner John Thompson of Charlottetown. The Bettor’s Delight pacer has not made a start since October, but was a qualifying winner in 1:58 in Charlottetown recently. Junebugs Baby has Post 4 at 8-1, with Myles Heffernan driving for owner Jackie Heffernan of Glace Bay, N.S., after finishing second in 1:56.2 in his latest start.

Post 5 belongs to the other Nova Scotia ship-in with Bernard McCallum training and driving His Boy Elroy at 10-1 odds for owner Dan MacRae of Baddeck, N.S., with his latest effort a winning one in 1:57 over the Truro Raceway.

The richest pacer in the field is a newcomer to Charlottetown as Invictus Hanover will make his second start on red soil from Post 6 for trainer-driver Jason Hughes and owner Foxyhall Racing of Wallace, N.S. The son of Yankee Cruiser is at 7-2 morning-line odds as he looks to add to his $305,000 bankroll. Adkins Hanover (Post 7) has Brett MacDonald making the trip from Rideau Carleton Raceway outside Ottawa to sit behind the pacer in the absence of regular pilot Corey MacPherson.

Adkins Hanover has been laying down devastating fractions in recent weeks for trainer Trevor Hicken and owner Perry Burke of Quebec, but hasn’t seen the winner’s circle since May 13.

The far outside Post 8 goes to a six-year-old pacer that surprised the top class on June 10 with an upset victory after a two-hole ride.