Mando Fun favoured in Summerside feature
Instant Shadow morning-line choice in back-up pace
An evenly-matched field of six will contest Sunday’s top class at Red Shores at Summerside Raceway. A total of 12 races will be contested, including the Race 11 $2,200 featured event with six entries. The tight knit group has race secretary Gerard Smith giving the advantage to Post 6 entry Mando Fun as the 5-2 morningline favourite. Norris Rogers is in the bike this week for co-owner and trainer Paul Biggar of Tyne Valley and co-owner Donald Callbeck of Kensington. Old Buck was awarded the win in his latest start after finishing second, and being placed forward to give him four wins from his last five starts. The son of Ameripan Gigolo will leave from Post 4 this week for trainer Alan MacDonald, with David Dowling picking up the catch-driving call in the absence of regular pilot Jason Hughes, who is competing in stakes’ action in Nova Scotia. Race analyst Bo Ford puts his faith in Mando Fun in spite of his post-position disadvantage. “Mando Fun has had a string of bad luck over his last three or four races and even (Sunday) he draws the outside, but on paper he is still the one to beat,” Ford said. Other Sunday afternoon featured entries include Offshore Cowboy (driven by Dale Spence), One Tough Nerd (Ken Murphy), Artist List (Adam Merner) and KD Overdrive (Stephen Mason).
Back-up pace
The back-up pace has a field of six pacers putting their noses on the gate in Race 9 for an $1,800 purse. Instant Shadow is the morning-line choice from Post 4 for trainer Sifroi Melanson and New Brunswick owners Ultimate Stable of Greater Lakeburn and Robert Kyle of Calhoun. Ryan DesRoche picks up the drive this week behind Instant Shadow. Other top entries include Salmonier Storm (Ambyr Campbell) and Pictonian Storm (Austin Sorrie). Sunday’s card, which starts at 1 p.m., is part of National Caretakers Appreciation Day, with grooms for each horse announced during the post parade and entered for prize draws along with special certificates of recognition.
After being plagued by breaks in stride in recent races, Prettyndangerous was firing on all cylinders Thursday night, crushing her opposition in the featured pace in 1:55.4 at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park. Gilles Barrieau was in the bike for the journey as he stalked pacesetter Minor Wisdom (driven by David Dowling) through fractions of 27.3 and 56.4, before moving to the lead before three-quarters in 1:26.4. The Bo Ford-trainee powered forward to win by 10 lengths in the $1,500 class over Good Luck Kathy (Earl Smith) and Hurricane Hill (Mike McGuigan). Ford, along with Arnold Myers of Charlottetown, own the winning mare.
Open trot
Isabella Hanover found herself in the winner’s circle as she captured her first $1,950 open trot on the East Coast. Adam Merner engineered the 1:59.1 winning trip for trainer Stephen Gass and owners Kent Livingston of Cornwall and Wade MacDonald of Stanhope. Dowling scored a driving triple on the program to give himself 993 career wins, just seven shy of the 1,000-win plateau. The Warren Grove driver clicked with CL La Rousse in 1:59.4 for trainer Reg Ferguson of Charlottetown, Brodys Leona in 1:58.1 for trainer Kerry Taylor of Stratford and House Of Style in a 2:01.2 maidenbreaking win for trainer Earl Watts of Hampshire. Taylor had two training victories on the program as he also teamed up with McGuigan to win with Swingirl in 1:58.4. Mark Bradley also had two training scores after driving Atlantic Drive to a 2:02.1 win, and with the Ken Murphy-driven Sel- fie in 2:01.3. Live harness racing continues in Charlottetown on Saturday at 6 p.m., and in Summerside on Sunday at 1 p.m.