$100,000 on the line every weekend
Big money available in Dash for Cash
By far the biggest prize to be won in harness racing on Prince Edward Island this summer does not involve sitting behind a horse.
It can only be won inside the grandstand of Red Shores Charlottetown and Summerside, and it was nearly won two weeks ago.
The $100,000 Dash For Cash could be a life-changing event for a lucky Red Shores customer, and it almost was a major payday on June 17 during the Maritime Breeders final.
“It has been very well received,” said Lee Drake, manager of Marketing, Brands and Playwise with Red Shores. “It is all about customer satisfaction and driving live handle. You have to be in house to get it.”
The contest is available on all Saturday and Sunday cards until Sept. 4 at both Island tracks, with the exception of the first Saturday of Old Home Week racing. To enter, you simply must bet $10 or more in a single wager on any live race up until Race 8 at Summerside or Charlottetown, and you get a ballot to enter the Dash For Cash.
At the completion of Race 9, two contestants are drawn from the ballot box and get the chance to correctly guess the complete order of finish in a designated eight-horse race later in the program – generally the feature or finale event.
It has been a near miss a couple times in the past year, with the late Keith MacLeod being one horse out of order during Governor’s Plate night in Summerside in 2016. Islander John Dunn had every horse correctly placed third through eighth in the Doug Harkness Maritime Breeders final on June 17, but had Island Energetic as the winner with Ashes To Ashes second.
As you know all too well, Ashes To Ashes rallied hard to circle the field and beat Island Energetic by half a length, leaving Dunn’s $100,000 aspirations for a later date.
Check Redshores.ca for complete contest details as well as a number of other promotions that are won on a regular basis as part of the excitement of catching live harness racing.
Maritime Scene
The Carl and Marg MacKenzie Memorial Stake was held Sunday at Truro Raceway in Nova Scotia, with Marc Campbell-trainee Elektra Express winning in 1:55.4 to erase the longtime three-year-old filly track record she co-held with JK Beauty’s 1990 performance.
Filly Forty Seven won her $6,809 division for Campbell and her Island owners, and Earl Watts-trainee Howmacs Dragonator won a colt division. Island Scene
The 2017 baby races were held Monday evening in Charlottetown after being delayed due to heavy showers Saturday morning. There are a lot of nice young prospects.
Bettim Jackie stole the show for driver Gary Chappell, trainer and co-owner Jeff Lilley of Charlottetown and fellow co-owners Danny Purcell of Nova Scotia and Blair MacLauchlan of Stratford.
After watching her unleash a back half in 58.3, with no sign of movement from Chappell, there is nothing to say other than this daughter of Andreoli Hanover looks like the real deal. That’s not to discount Scarlet Desire (Darryl MacLean), finishing a length back in that race.
There were a number of sharp-looking pacing colts, including Sock It Away for Reg MacPherson of Stratford, Haybartender for trainer Ron Gass and Tangled Mind, who made a break early but made up a ton of ground to finish third in his division for Gilles Barrieau.
In the trotting ranks, Buckaroo was impressive for owner Larry Chappell of Marshfield while the Myles Heffernantrained Ticked was a sharp 2:07 winner.
The two-year-old all make their stakes debut during Governor’s Plate week racing in Summerside.