Season winds down
Marc Campbell continues to lead dash race by a healthy margin
The 2017 racing season is starting to condense with no more midweek programs scheduled on Prince Edward Island and just two cards left in the Summerside Raceway season.
The Prince County oval continues this Sunday with a 1 p.m. start time for the 12-dash card then concludes on Sunday, Nov. 12. Marc Campbell continues to lead the dash race by a healthy margin with 56 trips to the winner’s circle with Jason Hughes in second at 35 wins and Gary Chappell in third at 26 victories.
Campbell will also take the training title home with 26 wins so far in the 2017 Prince County season compared to 16 wins for trainer Earl Watts with third place being held by 18-year-old Austin Sorrie at 11 wins.
Campbell made history on the Sunday afternoon program at the Charlottetown Driving Park as Pappy Go Go completed his undefeated season in the Island Breeder’s three-year-old trot final for owner Grayland Farms of Pugwash, N.S. Pappy Go Go is the first horse to go unblemished during the Maritime racing season since Malabrigo, another Campbell trainee, during the 2012 season.
Coincidentally, Malabrigo will be up for auction at the upcoming Standardbred Horse Sales Company Black Book mixed sale in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The now eightyear-old daughter of Western Paradise had been residing as a broodmare in Kentucky for owner Buntainwood Farm of Brackley Beach but will now change hands next week during the sale that runs Monday, Nov. 6 to Friday, Nov. 10. Besides Malabrigo, four of her offspring will also be individually sold including a three-year-old daughter of Bettor’s Delight, a two-year-old daughter of Somebeachsomewhere, a yearling daughter of Somebeachsomewhere and a weanling colt by Bettor’s Delight.
Across The Continent
Montana Ben has been on a roll since relocating to the Ontario racing circuit for new trainer Kyle Fellows. Mike Ramsay of Summerside owns the son of Western Terror that he trained on P.E.I. prior to making the move up country. Montana Ben was a winner on Oct. 24 in
1:57.1 at Western Fair Raceway in London, Ont., with Jay Harris at the in a $5,400 class then was successful again Wednesday night at Flamboro Downs in Dundas, Ont., with a 1:56 victory in a $5,600 event. The pacer is now entered to race Monday night at Woodbine Raceway in Rexdale, Ont., in a $20,000 claimer carrying a $14,00 purse carded as Race 1 of the program with a 8:30 P.M. AST post time.
Friday night at Yonkers Raceway in New York, Maritime champion Lovineveryminute was a winner in a 1:52.4 in a $22,500 class for her U.S. connections. The six-year-old daughter of Western Paradise was born and raised at Windemere Farms in Hampshire, and now has 29 wins and $327,744 in lifetime earnings.
Saturday at Yonkers Raceway, Do Over Hanover was a winner in 1:53.2 over the halfmile oval in a $50,000 claiming event for a $27,000 purse. The four-year-old son of Western Ideal is owned by Allard Racing Inc., and Vernon Bridge resident Donald MacRae.
Who’s Hot
J Rs Hurricane has been rock solid his last five starts with three wins, a second and a third from just five starts including two wins in his latest outings. Owned and trained by Jean Charles Belliveau of Scoudoc, N.B., the eight-year-old son of Mach Three makes the weekly trek across the Confederation Bridge as he looks to add to his 36 lifetime wins with 23 of them coming under Belliveau’s care. The pacer is entered in the Sunday afternoon top class at the Summerside Raceway with Adam Merner in the bike.