Hop Up, Freddie tangle in open trot
During Thursday night’s card in Charlottetown
Hop Up has dominated the open trot the past month, but faces her biggest test to date at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park on Thursday. First-race post time for the 12dash card is 6:30 p.m., with Hop Up riding into the Race 8 open trot with just one blemish in the last 30 days. The $1,950 class has Hop Up racing off the rail for the dynamite duo of driver Corey MacPherson and owner-trainer Keith Campbell of Victoria West. The four-year-old daughter of Tad The Stud has four wins in her last five outings, including the $2,500 Andrew Perry Invitational Trot at Red Shores Summerside during Governor’s Plate Week. Her competition stiffens this week though with the return of the previously dominant Freddie, who leaves from Post 4 for driver Marc Campbell and trainer Bo Ford. Isabella Hanover (driven by Adam Merner) won this class during Hop Up’s lone defeat on July 19, but trainer Stephen Gass will remove the mare from the Lasix program for her Thursday start from Post 2 after being outgunned her last start out. Race analyst Les MacIsaac looks to Freddie to hit the winner’s circle after being freshened from his vacation. “Freddie has been on hiatus for a month, which was good news for the other trotters,” MacIsaac said. “Well, he’s back and off that recent qualifier clearly the one to beat.” Other open trot entries include Majian Tango (Jim Ripley), Wedgewood (Gary Chappell), Professor Gordon (Jason Hughes) and Holy Molie Maggie (Walter Cheverie).
Featured pace
The Uncle Pat McWade Memorial is the featured pace, closing the card out in Race 12. Jackson K Down has drawn Post 4 after demolishing his competition in his last start, and again will have the services of driver MacPherson for trainer Stephen Mason. Nogreatmischief is the morning-line choice from Post 3 for trainer-driver Cheverie, and last year’s two-year-old Red Shores Charlottetown track recordholder Half Cut has rail control for driver Mark Bradley and trainer Tom Weatherbie as he takes a break from three-yearold stakes’ action. Race 10 is the Canadian National Oldtimers Baseball Federation Pace, and Bettim Vicky is the morning-line choice from Post 1 for driver Gilles Barrieau and trainer Jeff Lilley. Nikes Cowgirl headlines a tough group of mares in race 9 for driver Campbell and trainer Ford in the Next Gen 2 Pace.