Nick’s Picks
Saturday at 6 p.m. at Red Shores at the Summerside Raceway: Race 1 – Tell Me Why
Race 2 – One Hot Camshaft Race 3 – Painted Desert Race 4 – Ryans Allstar
Race 5 – Bowyer Hanover Race 6 – The Jig Is Up
Race 7 – Hes The Man
Race 8 – Dontcallme Dude Race 9 – Heart And Soul Race 10 – Miss Oromocto Race 11 – Complete Player Race 12 – Starcastic
Race 13 – Mr Irresistible Race 14 – Mick Dundee Race 15 - Ramblinglily
Race 16 - Hot Deuce
Do Over Hanover was an open-length winner in his elimination for driver Marc Campbell, who won the race in 2016 with Ys Lotus, and owners Allard Racing of Saint-Esprit, Que., Red Isle Racing of North Granville and Steven MacRae of Vernon Bridge. Chris MacKay trains the pacer as he rides a four-race win streak into Post 2 Saturday night.
A pair of dark horses in the field comes from the local contingent.
Good Friday Three paced in 1:53.4 in his elimination for driver Kenny Arsenault, 17-year-old trainer Austin Sorrie and owner Walter Simmons of Summerside, but is saddled with Post 6 in a race where early position will be important. Junebugs Baby has been a different horse his last three starts and was impressive in his elimination. Despite his fourthplace finish, he still paced in 1:54 with a tire that went flat in the first half of the race. Myles Heffernan trains and drives the pacer for owner and wife Jacke Heffernan of Summerville.
I will go 7-2-4-6 in the final.
Across The Continent
Last Saturday night at Mohawk Raceway in Ontario, a likely entrant for this year’s Sobey’s Gold Cup and Saucer was a winner in 1:51.1.
Vegas Rocks captured the $18,000 event with Trevor Henry in the bike for trainer Jamie Copley, who co-owns with Jody Sanderson of Doha, Qatar, and Dean Larkin of Kanata, Ont. Sanderson is a native of York Point while Larkin is originally from New Glasgow.
Saturday night at The Meadowlands in New Jersey, a pair of Islanders will compete in the $738,550 Meadowlands Pace final for three-year-old pacing colts.
Classic Pro, trained and coowned by Summerside native Dr. Ian Moore, leaves from Post 9 at 15-1 odds in the 10-horse field with Trevor Henry in the bike.
Kingston native Mark MacDonald has rail control in the prestigious race as he drives Blood Line for trainer Jimmy Takter. Blood Line was second in his Meadowlands Pace elimination Saturday, pacing in 1:49.1, and is installed at 5-1 odds Saturday night. MacDonald has made two previous appearances in the Meadowlands Pace with Bolt The Duer and Sportswriter, finishing out of the money on both occasions.
The Meadowlands Pace is scheduled to go at 10:40 p.m. Atlantic.
Also on Saturday’s Meadowlands card, MacDonald will steer Sunfire Blue Chip, a possible Gold Cup and Saucer entry, in the $427,400 William Haughton free-for-all final and Such An Angel in the $161,500 Stanley Dancer memorial final for three-year-old trotters.