Pacers chasing Ladner title
Mr Irresistible is the favourite in wide-open race
The finest pacers dotting the Eastern seaboard of Canada face off today in memory of Cecil Ladner at Red Shores at the Charlottetown Driving Park.
The 11-dash card kicks off at 6 p.m. with the $5,000 Cecil Ladner memorial invitational lining up in the finale.
Ladner was a pivotal organizer and supporter of Island racing until his death in 2005, when he was serving on the board of Harness Racing P.E.I.
The lifelong horseman owned a number of top competitors, including stakes winner Rouge Baron, Gold Cup and Saucer finalist Back From The Past and hard-hitting overnight horses like Legend Killean, Dunachton Nukes and GOK.
Today’s finale is anyone’s race to win.
Mr Irresistible was a decisive winner in last Saturday’s preferred pace with a 1:55.1 victory over a sloppy track with a two-second variant with Charlottetown’s leading driver Marc Campbell in the seat.
Campbell will drive the fiveyear-old son of Mister Big again this week and gets rail control as the favourite for trainer Jennifer Trainor and owner Danny Birt of Stratford.
Goliath Reigns has Post 2 at 6-1 odds after shipping in from competition at Truro Raceway for trainer Dawn Ellis and driver Todd Trites after winning in 1:56.2 over the Nova Scotia halfmile oval on June 11.
Post 3 has Nogreatmischief with 12-1 odds for co-owner, trainer and driver Walter Cheverie of Nine Mile Creek and co-owner John Thompson of Charlottetown. The Bettor’s Delight pacer has not made a start since October, but was a qualifying winner in 1:58 recently in Charlottetown.
Junebugs Baby has Post 4 at 8-1 with Myles Heffernan driving for owner Jackie Heffernan of Glace Bay, N.S., after finishing second in 1:56.2 in his latest start.
Post 5 belongs to the other Nova Scotia ship-in with Bernard McCallum training and driving His Boy Elroy at 10-1 odds for owner Dan MacRae of Baddeck, N.S., with his latest effort a winning one in 1:57 over the Truro Raceway.
The richest pacer in the field is a newcomer to Charlottetown with Invictus Hanover making his second start on red soil and drawing Post 6 for trainer-driver Jason Hughes and owner Foxyhall Racing of Wallace, N.S. The son of Yankee Cruiser is at 7-2 morning line odds as he looks to add to his $305,000 bankroll.
Post 7 belongs to a pacer that makes front no matter where he leaves.
Adkins Hanover has Brett MacDonald making the trip from Rideau Carleton Raceway outside Ottawa to sit behind the pacer in the absence of regular pilot Corey MacPherson. Adkins Hanover has been laying down devastating fractions in recent weeks for trainer Trevor Hicken and owner Perry Burke of Grosse-Ile, Que., but hasn’t seen the winner’s circle since May 13.
The far outside Post 8 goes to a six-year-old pacer that surprised the top class on June 10 with an upset victory after a two-hole ride. Give Em Heck is unlikely to get as nice a trip from the outside of the starting gate this week for driver Gilles Barrieau, trainer Jackie Matheson and owner Colin Sheppard of Spaniards Bay, N.L.
Summerside
Mando Fun will search for revenge Sunday on Eagle Jolt at Red Shores at the Summerside Raceway.
First race post time is 1 p.m. for the 12-dash card with Mando Fun drawing Post 5 in the Race 11, $2,400 feature with Dale Spence in the bike for co-owner and trainer Paul Biggar of Tyne Valley and co-owner Donald Callbeck of Kensington.
Eagle Jolt has the outside in the field of six with Ryan Desroche getting the catch driving call with regular driver and trainer Marc Campbell competing in Nova Scotia.
Eagle Jolt was victorious in Sunday’s Prince County feature event while snapping the tworace win streak of Mando Fun. Narragansett is sure to have a say in the outcome again this week with Jason Hughes training and driving for owner Foxyhall Racing of Wallace, N.S.
Machinthesand has rail control for Ken Murphy, while D Bs Rosco has Post 2 for Walter Cheverie and Mach It Big leaves from Post 4 with Brian Andrew in the bike.
The back-up pace lines up in Race 10 for a $1,800 purse with Rash B Havior favoured from Post 2 for driver Murphy and owner-trainer Mike Peters of Emyvale.
The seven-year-old son of Lis Mara has 24 lifetime victories to his credit and faces off with the red-hot Sandinista, who has Post 3 for driver Cheverie and trainer Clair Sweet, riding a three-race win streak.
Good Friday Three has rail control in Race 7 after he came up short in his East Coast debut, finishing third on June 4 at Summerside, and not raced since.