Czar Seelster, Euchred capture Governor’s Plate eliminations
Speed was on display Sunday afternoon as 14 horses contended for spots in Saturday’s 50th edition of the Governor’s Plate, presented by Township Chevrolet Buick GMC, at Red Shores at the Summerside Raceway.
Adkins Hanover pushed the issue early in the first $5,000 elimination as driver Ambyr Campbell sent the pacer to the front with blistering opening fractions of 27 and 55.2. That was when race favourite Euchred and driver Adam Merner abandoned the pocket to make a move for the front, touching down on the pylons before the three-quarters of 1:24.3. The Terry Gallant trainee finished out the mile unchallenged, winning in 1:54 for owner Kayla Habicht Walker of Inverness, N.S.
Second went to Mr Irresistible (Jason Hughes), while Nogreatmischief (Walter Cheverie) was third and Keep Coming (Corey MacPherson) completed the topfour pacers that will make their way to the $22,000 final.
The second $5,000 elimination capped off the Sunday afternoon program as Czar Seelster posted an upset at 8-1 odds with Kenny Arsenault at the lines for trainer Todd Weatherbee and owner Tammy Johnston of Vernon Bridge.
Do Over Hanover and driver Hughes guarded the rail at the start, parking out race favourite In Spades (Austin Sorrie) to the quarter in 27 seconds flat. In Spades would gain the front with fractions of 55.3 and 1:25.2, while Czar Seelster watched the action from the pylons in third. Czar Seelster advanced around the last turn to nail In Spades at the wire, while Do Over Hanover finished third and Cartoon Daddy (Dale Spence) finished fourth to punch his ticket to the final.
Arsenault said the trip worked out perfectly for Czar Seelster to land on the wire first.
“They were playing some hardball on front and I was hoping they would as that horse of Sorrie’s, In Spades, is a nice horse and if he had of got cheap fractions he would have been hard to beat,” Arsenault said trackside after the victory.
The fifth to seventh place finishers in each elimination will populate Euchred with Adam Merner in the bike won the first Governor’s Plate elimination Sunday at Red Shores at the Summerside Raceway. the $5,000 Governor’s Plate consolation, which will contain Give Em Heck, Tobinator, Fast N Victorious, Adkins Hanover, Zero Rate and Ashes To Ashes.
Governor’s Plate week racing continues Tuesday at 7 p.m. featuring the two- and three-yearold trotters in Atlantic Sires Stakes action.
Charlottetown
An early break by race favourite Elm Grove Kaboom opened the way for an upset victory in the top race Saturday at Red Shores at the Charlottetown Driving Park.
The speedy 10-dash program saw eight of the dashes timed in 1:57.2 or faster with the $2,200 top race no exception. Stars Above (Steven Shepherd) was the first to the pylons in the capital oval feature and he proceeded to string out favoured Elm Grove Kaboom (Marc Campbell) past the opening quarter in 28.1 before the latter made a break. Stars Above then continued on the front end with splits of 56.3 and 1:27.1 with his competition swarming threewide at that third station.
That left an opportunity for Oh To Be Me, and Gary Chappell, to steer through traffic and hit the wire first in 1:56.4 at 5-1 odds.
Second went to Tempo Seelster (Vincent Pouton) while Elm
Grove Kaboom rallied for third. Oh To Be Me is trained and owned by Chappell, of Charlottetown.
Big Surf made his presence felt in his return to East Coast racing, as the former top invitational pacer was a front-end winner in 1:56.1 leaving from Post 8 for driver MacPherson, trainer Trevor Hicken and owner Perry Burke of Grosse-Ile., Que.
The seven-year-old son of Somebeachsomewhere was sold by Burke to U.S. interests in 2016, with him last racing in Pennsylvania in May then reacquired by his former connections.
Campbell scored a driving triple on the program, winning with Jetster in 1:56.2 from his own stable, Painted Pony in 1:56.3 for trainer Raymond White of Belfast and Bettim Vicky in 1:56.3 for trainer Jeff Lilley of Milton.
The Saturday program was the last card in Charlottetown until Thursday, July 19, as Island racing focuses on Governor’s Plate week racing in Summerside with cards on Tuesday through Saturday.
RESULTS, B2.
Sherry White won the Cooke Insurance Prince Edward Island amateur golf title Sunday in Cavendish.
The Stratford resident carded a three-round total of 19-over 235 through windy conditions at Green Gables Golf Club.
“It was such a battle,” White said. “There was so much wind and it was so hard to pick the clubs all weekend.
“It was fun, but it was a battle.” She led from start to finish with rounds of 75, 79 and 81 to win the 12-player competition. It is her 10th women’s title since 2000.
Cornwall’s Fiona Thompson, who had the best round Sunday at 6-over 78, was second, two strokes back of White at 237. Defending champ Chrissie MacLauchlan of Stanhope was third at 259.
The women played a threeround championship. The men’s first round on Friday was cancelled due to heavy rain and lighting, so they played a two-round competition, which also finished on Sunday.
Men
Nova Scotia’s Andrew Reid captured the men’s championship.
The Cole Harbour native shot a two-round total of 4-over 147 to win the title by four strokes over New Haven’s John Walsh.
Brodie Ward (153), John-Anthony Langdale (154) and Brodie McGregor (155) rounded out the top three in the 46-golfer field.
Senior men
New London’s Steve Ball beat Summerside’s Mel Bernard in a two-hole playoff to determine the men’s senior champ.
They ended the event at 13-over 157.
Bernard made up two strokes on Ball with a final day 6-over 78.
Ron Garrett, Ernest Corrigan, Malcolm Reid and Randy Bernard tied for third, two strokes off the lead. two-round More online at www.theguardian.pe.ca