Girls take on the boys Saturday
Preferred pace goes in Race 9
Drivingthedragon N had to take on the top boys in Island racing all by herself last week, but gets some extra female companionship at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park on Saturday.
First-race post time for the 13-dash program is 12:30 p.m., with a tight knit field of five contesting the Race 9 preferred pace for a $2,400 purse. While Post 1 starter Drivingthedragon N is still the only mare in the race, the female ranks swell this week as Post 2 starter Salmonier Storm has female pilot Ambyr Campbell at the controls. Salmonier Storm has been gradually climbing the class ladder, knocking off the back-up class last week at the capital oval and gets installed at 4-1 odds this week.
His competition toughens on Saturday, with Rose Run Quest leaving from Post 5 after proving broken equipment is the only thing that can stop him since early December. Marc Campbell trains and drives Rose Run Quest for Blair Hansen of Charlottetown. Campbell had a tight hold on the driver’s standings in 2017, but has to share the top spot so far in 2018 after driver Ken Murphy also had three wins on the year’s first card. Murphy will drive Forever Paradise in Saturday afternoon’s top event from Post 3. Corey MacPherson gets the catch-driving call on Nogreatmischief from Post 4 for owner-trainer Walter Cheverie. Race analyst Les MacIsaac predicts Rose Run Quest will be returning to the preferred pace winner’s circle.
“The only thing that’s been able to stop Rose Run Quest in the past month and a half was a flat tire, and in that one he was still a bang up second,” MacIsaac said. “Other than the likely short price there’s not much to dislike.”
The afternoon’s back-up pace hits the track in Race 12 for a $2,000 pot. Eagle Jolt is the one to beat after being defeated as the post-time favourite last week by Salmonier Storm. Campbell trains and drives Eagle Jolt from Post 1 for owners Wilbur and Marie MacDonald of Orwell. Euchred ships in from competition in Nova Scotia for new trainer-driver Terry Gallant from Post 5 for owner Kayla Habicht Walker of Inverness, N.S.
Other top entries include Silverinyourpocket (Hughes), Harbourlite Jerry (Steven Shepherd) and Smiley Bayama (Adam Merner).
Race 3 has a familiar face returning to Island racing, with Pictonian Sareta coming back home to eastern P.E.I., to the stable of Austin Sorrie of Montague.
A former top stakes’ competitor in 2013-14 for Mike Stevenson, the daughter of Western Paradise had been racing the Ontario circuit.