SUMMERSIDE – Mcapulco won the 44th running of the Governor’s Plate at Red Shores at Summerside Raceway on Saturday night.
Gilles Barrieau drove the seven-year-old bay horse by Mccardle-Smooth Latin N-Caprock to a mile in 1:53.2 after fractions of 27.3, 56.4 and 1:24.4. Mcapulco took the lead at the quarter pole, and did not look back.
“I probably could have been there (lead) quicker than that, but I just let him pace and he was comfortable,” commented Barrieau. “He’s such a nice little horse to drive. He drives like a car. The horse did it all. All I had to do was steer him.”
Mcapulco’s time was one-fifth of a second off P H Bestman’s track pacing record of 1:53.1 that was set in the 2010 Governor’s Plate.
Firethorn finished second, and All Turain rounded out the top three. Oakmont was fourth, Arabica was fifth, P H Bestman was sixth, Joseph Michael was seventh, Maritimer was eighth and Carnivore rounded out the nine-horse field after breaking just past the first turn.
Patrick Morris of Charlottetown owns Mcapulco, and Jackie Matheson does the training.
It was a memorable night for Barrieau, who won the final four races of the 16-dash card to claim the Basil Whelan Memorial Award for top driver during the seven-card Lobster Carnival meet. Barrieau finished with 10 wins while Campbell, who drove All Turain in the Governor’s Plate, had nine.
Barrieau also steered General Luckypercy to a 1:57.1 win in the Lobster Carnival open mares final; Oakrock Almighty to a 1:55.1 mile in claiming the $5,000 Governor’s Plate consolation, and Dukes Up to a 1:57.1 trip in a $12,620 A Division of the Atlantic Sires Stakes for three-year-old pacing colts.
The total live wager was $76,463. Overall, this year’s Lobster Carnival live wager was up substantially from 2011.
