Harness racing

For Wednesday night’s Governor’s Plate Week harness racing card

Governor’s Plate Week harness racing resumes at Red Shores at Summerside Raceway on Wednesday. Journal Pioneer columnist Vance Cameron previews the Atlantic Sires Stakes for two-year-old fillies. A total of five divisions will be contested.

The Atlantic Sire Stakes for two-year-old filly pacers highlight Wednesday’s harness racing program in Summerside.

There will be three $9,460 A divisions, and a pair of $2,500 B splits as Governors Plate Week continues at 7 p.m.

Dave (Crocker) Kelly’s Elm Grove Misty was an impressive winner in her racing debut. The daughter of Strone bridge Terror paced her back half in 59.1 seconds, cruising home a winner in 2:01.1.

R.E.’s Shabla, under the horsemanship of Mike McGuigan, was another impressive winner in Charlottetown. On a track listed as good, with a two second variant, the Pans Shui filly romped to a five-length victory in 2:02. In the second As take, Maybe its may bel line already has two overnight starts. Both have come in less than ideal conditions on tracks that were listed as sloppy – four- and fivesecond variants.

Chocolate Terror is the only other conditioned race winner in this race. She also won in adverse conditions at Truro Raceway.

That day the track was sloppy and had a three-second variant. This filly, conditioned by Toby MacDonald, won in 2:03.2.

In the final division of the A fillies, trainer Jeff Lilley has a homebred that has been turning heads all spring. Gary Chappell sent Bettim Jackie to the front in her qualifier. Jackie is a rare Andreoli Hanover sire, and paced her back half in 58.3, winning her qualifier in 2:01.2. Not to be outdone is Marc Campbell’s filly Scarlet Desire. The daughter of Western Paradise tracked Bettim Jackie in the two hole to finish second. This filly came her last half a “tick” faster in 58.2.

Flashback

It was 1985 at London Western Fair Raceway in Ontario. Back then their signature event was the Labatt’s Pace Invitation.

The race attracted the sport’s top invitational pacers.

It was very rare, if not ever, you would find a three-year-old in this event. However, that year, Dave Wall trained and drove a beautiful black Governors Skipper colt. When the wings folded he sent him to the front, was challenged by multiple aged horses and held them all off to win the prestigious event in Wall’s hometown.

For a three-year-old to do this was incredible.

A few short weeks later, this duo would take on the world’s best three-year-olds in the North America Cup.

Once again, Wall would send him to the front hanging on for a neck decision on Greenwood Raceway’s surface in 1:55.2 at an over 7-to-1 mild upset. That colt had a great name, Staff Director.