History in the making?
Forever Paradise attempts to set new mark for driver Marc Campbell
Two race cards are scheduled for this weekend at Red Shores at the Charlottetown Driving Park (CDP).
The capital oval hosts programs today and Sunday, each with 12:30 p.m. starts, and the King of Island racing looking to make more history.
Marc Campbell, who has 137 wins this season at the CDP, inches closer to his own all-time dash title of 144 races in the 2016 season. Counting action this weekend, there are 10 programs left for Campbell’s pursuit of another record.
Campbell will look to get one of those record-breaking wins in this afternoon’s feature with Forever Paradise.
The son of Western Paradise will search for a repeat performance in the $2,250 preferred two pace finale on the 12-race card.
“Forever Paradise got away from the bearcats last week and responded with a season’s best performance,” said Race analyst Les MacIsaac. “Off an effort like that there’s not much to dislike so don’t rule out a repeat.”
The Kevin MacLean trainee, who was a winner in 1:55.4 Sunday on the final day of 2017 racing at Red Shores at the Summerside Raceway, gets Campbell back in the bike. The 56-time winner is owned by Reg MacPherson and David MacKenzie of Stratford and Aaron MacKenzie of Winsloe.
Forever Paradise gets Post 3 this week while Simon Said also gets a favourable starting post with No. 2 on the gate. The Joey Squires-trained Simon Said teamed up with Mark Bradley to upset the top pacers on the grounds last weekend in the preferred class and will look to build on that 1:56.1 victory.
Painted Desert has been on a roll this fall in Summerside in the top event, but has to contend with Post 8 this week for driver Corey MacPherson.
In other action, the open mares pace lines up behind the gate in Race 9 for a $2,250 purse.
The class has had four different winners in the last five weeks and they all meet again Saturday, including top entries Ramblinglily (Ken Murphy), Good Luck Kathy (Jason Hughes), Prettyndangerous (Adam Merner) and Itsallaboutthebass (Arsenault).
Sunday
On Sunday, 13 dashes are scheduled and, in a rare occurrence, a field of six preferred one pacers hit the track for a $2,550 purse in Race 12 with not a single horse in the group showing a win in their last start.
Adkins Hanover was narrowly upset last week in Charlottetown in this class and gets Post 4 on Sunday for MacPherson, trainer Trevor Hicken and owner Perry Burke of Grosse-Ile., Que.
The eight-year-old son of Western Ideal has already won 12 races on the season with front-end tactics yielding most of his results.
Rose Run Quest has Post 6 while he looks to defend his incredible record of 12 straight top-three finishes since coming to P.E.I., while his trainer-driver will be looking to make more history with just seven more wins needed to equal his record.
Czar Seelster has rail control in the preferred pace after finally missing the top two for the first time last week since relocating to P.E.I. Todd Weatherbee trains and drives the pacer.
“Adkins Hanover’s modest winning streak came to an end last week after doing all the road work, but it was still a big effort,” MacIsaac said. “Should have a fairly easy path to the front today and if Corey can steal a fraction it could be all over.”