Cape Breton duo steals spotlight at CDP

Junebugs Baby upsets field in Cecil Ladner Memorial Invitational Pace

The party was sure to be lively in Summerville, P.E.I., on Saturday night.

That is because local horse Junebugs Baby upset the East Coast’s finest in the Cecil Ladner Memorial Invitational Pace at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park.

Myles Heffernan engineered the winning trip behind fellow Cape Breton native Junebugs Baby in 1:55.1 at 16-1 odds to win the $5,000 event as the second longest shot on the board.

Fellow longshot His Boy Elroy (Bernard McCallum) finished second, and race favourite Mr Irresistible (Marc Campbell) rounded out the healthy $1,355.90 triactor.

Adkins Hanover, with catchdriver Brett MacDonald, cut out blistering fractions of 26.4 and 55.1, before facing a challenge by the first-over Mr Irresistible up the backside, with Junebugs Baby taking second-over cover at the 1:25.1 three-quarters.

Mr Irresistible cleared around the final turn, before Junebugs Baby and Heffernan took their shot to get up by half a length at the wire. Summerville resident Heffernan also does the training while Jackie Heffernan of Glace Bay, N.S., owns the eight-year-old son of Western Paradise.

Three wins

Campbell continued to dominate the drivers’ standings with three wins on the card, including a 1:58 victory behind newcomer Mach Of Ballykeel for trainer Kyle Wilkie of Charlottetown, Dontcallme Dude in 2:00.2 for trainer Mike MacDonald of Orwell and with Hickory Chumley from his own stable in 1:59.1.

The driving triple gives Campbell 58 wins, after just 21 race programs, on the season in Charlottetown.

Ramblinglily controlled the front end to win the $2,250 Open Mares Pace in 1:57.4 for driver Walter Cheverie, coowner and trainer Allan Jones of Riverview, N.B., and coowner Norman Leger of Shediac, N.B.

Shadows Mystery (Kenny Arsenault) was second, with Woodmere Articblue (Campbell) third.

Cheverie and Brett MacDonald both had driving doubles on the program.

Live racing continues in Charlottetown on Thursday at 6:30 p.m., while the Future Stars racing program of twoyear-old qualifiers scheduled for Saturday morning was postponed.

That event is now scheduled for Monday at 6 p.m.