CZAR SEELSTER TAKES GOVERNOR’S PLATE.
Oldest horse in field charges down stretch to pass Euchred late
Czar Seelster proved age does not matter. The oldest horse in the 50th running of the $25,000 Governor’s Plate, presented by Township Chevrolet, charged down the stretch to pass leader Euchred, driven by Adam Merner, en route to winning Prince County’s most prestigious standardbred race at Red Shores at Summerside Raceway late Saturday night. Time of the mile by the nine-year-old by Stonebridge Regal-Cmon Mama Cass-Threefold was 1:53.2 – the fastest trip of the 16-dash card. “I got a perfect trip, to tell you the truth,” said winning driver Kenny Arsenault, who has over 3,000 career wins. “I wanted to follow Adam and I wanted to stay with him if I could, and the rest on the outside just couldn’t get to us. “I don’t know what happened behind me because I was up near the front, but this horse is phenomenal. (Trainer) Greg Weatherbee had him really good (Saturday), and he’s a great horse to drive because he’s a closer.” Euchred cut out fractions of 27.1, 55.4 and 1:24.1, and finished second. Mr Irresistible rounded out the top three. Defendingchampion Do Over Hanover was fourth, followed by Keep Coming, In Spades was sixth, Nogreatmischief finished seventh and Cartoon Daddy rounded out the field in eighth. Owned by Tammy Johnston of Vernon Bridge, Arsenault and Czar Seelster sat second throughout the race before making their move. “It was halfway down the stretch before I got around him,” explained Arsenault. “Adam’s horse raced big. He was super, but this horse just dug in the last 50 yards and got the win.” In pre-race interviews with the Journal Pioneer last week, all of the drivers expected an early speed duel off the start. “I hoped I could get close to the front, and sit no worse than three,” explained Arsenault. “It worked out well. “I thought In Spades and Jason (Hughes driving Do Over Hanover) would be coming hard, but they just didn’t get to us. I don’t know what happened.”
Praises trainer
When it was commented to Arsenault that Czar Seelster is showing no signs of slowing down and continues to race at a very high level, he quickly said: “That goes back to Greg Weatherbee. That’s the sign of a good trainer when they can keep a nine-yearold horse peaking at that age. “He’s very good with this horse, he turns him out and he jogs him slow. He’s very good to this horse, and he shows it on the racetrack.” Asked to describe Czar Seelster, Arsenault offered, “He’s a pushbutton horse to drive, he’s easy to drive. . . He’s a good horse, and he raced against seven other good horses and he beat them. That says a lot how good of a horse this horse is.” After Czar Seelster and Euchred won the two $5,000 Governor’s Plate eliminations in identical times of 1:54 flat on July 8, Arsenault felt a mile in 1:53 would be needed to win the Governor’s Plate. “I didn’t think 54 would (be good enough) because there were too many horses with early speed, and early speed makes fast racing,” said Arsenault, who described the track conditions as excellent. “The track was super, the guys did a great job all week,” added Arsenault.
Second Governor’s Plate
It was the second Governor’s Plate victory for Arsenault, who drove Serious Damage to victory in 2011. “It’s very special because I have been coming to Summerside for over 30 years over my career, and I know a lot of people up here,” said Arsenault, a Charlottetown native. “It means a lot to me. “To win this the second time is really nice. I took a long time to get back to the winner’s circle, but I just want to enjoy the moment.”