First leg of Island Breeders stakes in the books
Euchred continues preferred dominance at CDP
The ‘King’ of Island racing looked to regain his groove as he made four visits to the winner’s circle Sunday afternoon at Red Shores at the Summerside Raceway in the first stakes action of the season on red soil.
Marc Campbell scored his grand slam during a card riddled with Ruby Chappell memorial stakes divisions for three-year-old pacing fillies and Bob Dewar Memorial stakes divisions for three-year-old pacing colts.
Sock It Away continued his undefeated season in his $5,400 Dewar division, winning in 1:57 for driver Campbell, trainer Kevin MacLean and owner Reg MacPherson of Stratford. Campbell also won a split of the $6,000 Ruby Chappell stake with Maybeitsmaybelline in a mile time of 1:58.3 for trainer Tom Weatherbie and owners Blair Hansen of Charlottetown and Cheryl Geldart Greer of Norton, N.B.
The leading reinsman made his other winning scores in overnight events with Confident Fella in 1:57 for trainer Ralph Sweet of O’Leary and Mando Fun in 1:56.4 for Paul Biggar of Tyne Valley.
Tangled Mind recorded the fastest win of the day in Dewar Memorial action, stopping the clock in 1:55.3 for trainer-driver Gilles Barrieau and New Brunswick owners Michael Clinton of Saint John and Alfred Barrieau of Dieppe. The winner in the other $5,400 Dewar divisions were Dustylanewesty (driven by Clare MacDonald) in 1:57.4, Half Cut (Mark Bradley) in 1:56.1 and The Colonel (Barrieau) in 1:56.3.
In Ruby Chappell action, R Es Shabla (Corey MacPherson) won her $6,000 split in 1:58.3, while Woodmere Ceilidh (MacDonald) was a winner in identical time.
One Chappell division stayed in the family, as Tobins Terror was a 1:59.3 victor for trainerdriver Gary Chappell. The daughter of Stonebridge Terror is owned by Boyd MacDonald Produce Ltd., of Crapaud and Daniel Ross of Belfast. Although Tobins Terror was the winner, the race also saw a career milestone as Ken Murphy finished second with Woodmere Wyldstyle and put the driver over $1 million in career purse earnings.
Live racing continues in Summerside on Sunday, June 3 with a 1 p.m. post time.
SATURDAY
Euchred bucked the preferred pace trend as hit the wire first after not securing the early lead Saturday evening at Red Shores at the Charlottetown Driving Park.
Adam Merner engineered the winning trip as Euchred won his third straight $2,650 preferred pace at the capital oval.
Winter Blast and driver Jason Hughes were on front for the first lap of the race, setting fractions of 28.4 and 58.2 before being pressured from the first-over Euchred before the third panel of 1:27.3. Euchred then took control of the race and fought off the challenged posed by Czar Seelster (driven by Kenny Arsenault) in the stretch drive, while Rose Run Quest (Marc Campbell) got up for third.
Terry Gallant trains Euchred for owner Kayla Habicht Walker of Inverness, N.S., as the son of Shadow Play scored his seventh win from 14 seasonal starts.
Driver Gilles Barrieau played a game of patience in the $2,200 back-up pace as he laid fourth on the rail with Ashes To Ashes for the majority of the race before winning in the stretch drive in 1:56.1. Mr Irresistible (Hughes) did all the early road work with splits of 28.1, 57.1 and 1:26.2 before succumbing to the four-year-old Ashes To Ashes at the end of the mile to finish second. Third went to Tobinator (Corey MacPherson).
Live racing continues Thursday with a 6:30 p.m. post time at the CDP with racing also scheduled for Saturday, June 2 at 6 p.m.