Merner wins MacDonald Memorial Challenge
Barrieau second while MacPherson finishes third at CDP
Adam Merner showed his skill Saturday by fending off Gilles Barrieau in the Paul MacDonald Memorial Driver’s Challenge at Red Shores at the Charlottetown Driving Park.
Eight drivers participated in eight races as part of the competition, which occurred on Horse Person’s Day sponsored by the P.E.I. Standardbred Horse Owners Association. Merner finished the day with 62 points for his first MacDonald Memorial win with Barrieau finishing two points back in second and Corey MacPherson finishing third with 56 points.
Barrieau started off the action by winning the first leg in a 2:01 romp with Dilans Mustang with Merner finishing second. Merner also finished second in the second leg as David Dowling and Good Lucky Kathy clicked in 2:01.2.
Southfield Sassy would give Merner his first taste of the winner’s circle by edging out Mach An Angel (Dave Dowling) by a neck in 2:01.4.
Merner snagged a fifth-place finish in leg four but still kept ahead of second-place Barrieau as the New Brunswick driver finished sixth.
Barrieau attempted to close the gap by winning with Casimir Obama in 1:59.1 in the next leg but Merner kept close with a second-place finish behind Casimir Nunzio. Outrageous Spirit supplied Barrieau with his third win in the challenge in 2:01.2 while Merner and Cougar Gal faded to fifth. Mach Of Ballykeel then supplied a surge up the passing lane in leg seven for driver Merner while Barrieau finished fourth to give Merner a four-point advantage going into the final leg. Merner’s lead was near squandered in the final dash of the competition as Hemingway made a break past the half-mile marker and provided interference to other horses. Hemingway finished fifth and was placed eighth but Barrieau was unable to capitalize with Loves A Challenge as he finished sixth. Dowling finished fourth with 53 points, while Ambyr Campbell, Ron Matheson and Mike McGuigan tied for fifth with 48 points and Kenny Arsenault rounded out the field with 45 points. Rollwithitharry and Barrieau captured the $2,500 preferred 2 pace in 1:58.4 for trainer Jackie Matheson and owner Woodmere Farms of Marshfield. The $2,350 fillies and mares open pace saw an upset with Killean Finale and Ken Murphy winning in 1:58.4 for trainer Clifford Murphy and owners Dr. Mary McNiven and Pacemaker Stable of Nine Mile Creek.
Results, B2.