Harness racing
Callbeck Stakes, Maple Trot highlight Sunday’s 15-dash program
It’s a busy afternoon of harness racing at Red Shores at Summerside Raceway on Sunday. A total of 15 dashes, featuring the Callbeck Stakes for two-year-old trotters and two-yearold pacing colts and fillies, along with the Maple Leaf Trot for three-year-old trotters, will be featured. Harness racing column Vance Cameron sets up the program.
The greatest single day of stake racing in the Maritimes is happening at Red Shores at Summerside Raceway on Sunday.
The racetrack is hosting the Callbeck Stakes for two-yearold trotters and two-year-old pacing colts and fillies. When you add in the Maple Leaf Trot for the three-year-old trotters, it totals 15 races, and it all begins at 1 p.m.
No track on Canada’s East Coast will offer a complete afternoon for the young stars of harness racing. Red Shores Summerside will add a Wednesday program (7 p.m.) to accommodate the overnight horses this week.
Two-year-old totters
Winde me red ont worry calls Willow Avenue home, and he’s the first-race backstretch favourite. The handsome chestnut won a sire stake as part of Grand Circuit Week in Truro, N.S.
Buckaroo will bring his modest undefeated streak back to Summerside after winning a sire stakes’ test here in Summerside and Truro.
Miss Emerson Ridge and queen Claire MacDonald are poised to take down the third division of the two-year-old trotters. This filly has a pair of deuces in her first two lifetime starts.
Three-year-old trotters
The two top three-year-old trotters, Wicked Nick and Pappy Go Go, will square off in the opening division of the three-year-old trot. These trotting titans both won their individual sire stakes’ races last week in Truro.
Two-year-old filly pacers
Private Di gave the talented driver Kenny Arsenault his 3,000th career win last week in Charlottetown. The Mach Three filly had Arsenault on top at every call for that milestone moment, and is favoured in the Callbeck test.
Marc Campbell’s Scarlet Desire will be looking to start a streak of her own. The Western Paradise daughter rolled right down the road her last start, winning an A stake in 2:00 flat.
Two-year-old colt pacers
Sock It Away set a new track record for two-year-old pacers in Summerside during the Lobster Carnival, and will return to Summerside on Sunday. That shocking 1:56 mile in his first lifetime start was just incredible.
The son of Pang Shui followed that trip up with a Truro victory in 2:00.1. That must have felt like a training trip. Sunday afternoon’s card of racing in Summerside will provide a harness racing showcase to our sports young stars. As Roger Houston says, “Be there!”
Flashback
I think it was 1994 and it was one of the first Industry Days at Elmira Raceway – now known as Grand River Raceway. The Ontario Sire Stakes Gold Series was being contested, and I was the host of the harness racing network covering the festivities.
My first interview was with Paul Ysebaert and Bob Probert. As any of you who know me know, if I stretch and stand on my tippy toes I might reach fivefoot-five.
Well, the two gentlemen were giants next to me. I can remember my wife, Debbie, commenting on how awkward the scene looked to her. I remember holding the microphone up to both, and how it must have looked.
My next interview came with one of harness racing’s all-time legends, Keith Waples. I was nervous, but the kind-hearted Mr. Waples placed his hand on my shoulder and started up a conversation before we were on the air, and it calmed me right down.
He just had that way about himself. It was a wonderful afternoon, and to be associated with these talented individuals was a lasting experience. Mr. Waples and myself then watched the next race from the first turn. On its completion, a Bob McIntosh pupil, Mr. G, and driver Steve Condren would establish a new track record in 1:54. I recall the look on Mr. Waples face, and how he commented on how a fine animal the horse was. Industry Day has become the biggest day in the track’s history, and now the Battle Of Waterloo is it’s signature event.