Elm Grove Kaboom, Smith capture feature
Merner records four driving wins during action at the Charlottetown Driving Park
Adkins Hanover did the early roadwork, but Elm Grove Kaboom was there to pick up the pieces in the Saturday evening preferred pace at Red Shores at the Charlottetown Driving Park.
Adkins Hanover and driver Adam Merner controlled the front end in the $2,400 event through fractions of 28.1, 56.3 and 1:25.3, before a hard-closing Elm Grove Kaboom and trainerdriver Earl Smith got up to score a quarter-length win in 1:55.2.
Adkins Hanover was second, with Forever Paradise (Mike McGuigan) finishing third. Larry and Kathy Chappell of Marshfield own Elm Grove Kaboom as the pacer scored his 10th lifetime win, and took a new career-best win time.
Mares
The photo finish was put to good use in the $2,250 Mares Open Pace as Ramblinglily scored a tight win in 1:56.4 over Shadows Mystery (Kenny Arsenault) and Woodmere Articblue (Marc Campbell).
Walter Cheverie drove Ramblinglily for trainer and co-owner Allan Jones of Riverview, N.B., and co-owner Norman Leger of Shediac, N.B. It was the mare’s 54th lifetime win.
Merner won four dashes on the card. Likely To Win was a 1:57.1 winner in a $1,900 class for trainer Melissa Rennie and Nova Scotia owners Blenise Young of Long Point and Lester Campbell of Judique as well as Jeffrey Campbell of Calgary, Alta.
Merner’s other wins came behind All Turain in 1:58.2 for trainer Trevor Hicken of Montague, Zero Rate in 1:58.4 for trainer Michael Gallant of Charlottetown and Artist List in 1:58 for trainer Ron Gass of Cornwall.
Kenny Arsenault had a driving double on the program, winning with Three Truths in 1:58.1 for Paul Doyle of Charlottetown and Miramichi David in a maiden-breaking 2:00.1 for trainer Mike Campbell.
Marc Campbell also scored two winners as he continues to lead the driving standings at the capital city oval. Campbell’s wins were a 1:58.1 victory with Jdcyril for trainer Kevin MacLean of Kinross, and with Twin B Shadow in 1:58.4 for owners Douglas Matheson of Mount Albion and Stewart MacDonald of Charlottetown.
The Gormanizor was a 2:00.2 winner for trainer-driver Jason (The Blue Knight) Hughes with “The Blue Knight” scoring another driving win with Ultimately handsome in 1:57 for trainer Sifroi Melanson to cap off the program.