Salmonier Storm upsets preferred pace
Multiple wins for Neill, Campbell Saturday at CDP
Salmonier Storm claimed the top pace of the week at long odds Saturday at Red Shores at the Charlottetown Driving Park after picking up the pieces from an early speed duel.
Ambyr Campbell was in the bike for the winning trip, which is the third straight for the sevenyear-old son of Western Ideal, stopping the clock in 1:58.2 in the $2,500 preferred pace. Hitting the wire first at 18-1 odds, Salmonier Storm prevailed for owner Brian MacPhee of Clyde River, over pacesetter Winter Blast (Jason Hughes) and third-place IC True Grit (Mike McGuigan).
The colours white, green and black frequented the winner’s circle on the 15-dash program with a total of seven wins scored between the ‘King’ of Island racing and a promising rookie driver. Marc Campbell continued his reign of the Charlottetown drivers’ standings with four wins on the day to put him at 121 victories this year at the capital oval. Campbell started his good fortune in Race 10, winning with Charlottes Western in 2:01.4 for trainer Jeff Lilley of Milton, followed by a win in Race 11 with Malabrigo in 2:00.1 from his own stable. Confiden Fella supplied the third part of the quadruple in Race 12 with a 1:59.2 victory from the O’Leary stable of Ralph Sweet then finished the card off winning with Jetta Flys in 2:00.1 for Stephen Quinn of Charlottetown.
Drew Neill scored the first driving triple of his career just two days after his 19th birthday. The Winsloe driver connected with Miramonttogo in a front-end score of 2:03.4 for his father Irwin Neill, then scored a pair of wins for trainer Jackie Matheson of Stratford later on the card. Howmacs Dragonator was the first part of the NeillMatheson double with a 2:01.3 win then Collective Wisdom won the $2,350 fillies and mares open pace in 1:59.1 for owner Bruce Wood of Marshfield.
Brian Blanchard celebrated his first Canadian driving win as he teamed up with Frill Seeker to capture the $1,800 open trot in 2:05.3. The U.S. driver was in the bike for trainer Kenny Arsenault and owner Ebbsfleet Stables of Stratford, Ont. It was win 73 of Blanchard’s driving career but the rest of his victories came in his native Maine.
Results, B2.