Barrieau dominates sires stakes

Veteran driver wins Basil Whelan memorial award as Governor’s Plate week’s top driver

Driver Gilles Barrieau posted a clean sweep of the Atlantic Sires Stakes A divisions for three-year-old pacing fillies July 11 to close out Governor's Plate week racing at Red Shores at the Summerside Raceway.

Elm Grove Penney won her $16,700 A division for sophomore fillies with Barrieau in the seat for trainer Danny Romo and owner Ian Banks of Bible Hill, N.S., stopping the clock in 1:56.4.

Southfield Skye (Jason Hughes) was second with Maggies delight (Corey MacPherson) third.

Barrieau also won the other $16,700 A split aboard Mystifying from the Darryl MacLean barn in 1:58 over Tobins Brownie (David Dowling) and Somebodys Me (Hughes). MacLean co-owns the daughter of Source Of Pride with Gordon MacLean of Winsloe and Stephen Downey of New Brunswick.

Barrieau also won a $3,000 B division for fillies with Santa Monica, trained by Paul Lanigan, for the driving triple and to secure the Basil Whelan memorial award for top driver of Governor’s Plate week.

Hughes was the hot driving commodity on the program, as he made five trips to the winner’s circle. The Stratford driver won with newcomer Stormy Beach Girl (1:59.1) and Winter Blast (1:57.2), both for trainer Jen Doyle; Bank Shot Hanover (1:58.1) from the Brendan Mullen barn and in the other $3,000 B Division with Emmy Lou Hayes (1:58.3) for trainer Stephen Quinn. Hughes also won the $3,000 Andrew Perry memorial trot with Daisy River for trainer Lanigan in 1:58.3.

Mullen also had a training double with Better Be In Love (Ken Murphy) winning in 1:59.1.

Live racing continues on Prince Edward Island with the action shifting back to Red Shores at the Charlottetown Driving Park on July 15 and 17 at 6 p.m. for both cards. The next card in Summerside is July 18 with a 1 p.m. first race post time.