Gold Cup and Saucer Trial 1 headlines tonight’s card at the Charlottetown Driving Park.
The eight-horse affair is the final race on the 12-dash harness racing card.
Secret Weapon, at odds of 3-1, has drawn the rail for driver Scott Young and trainer Wayne Prezcator. The Western Hanover nine-year-old has six wins from 14 starts this year, good for $45,780 in earnings. He shattered Malicous’s Hanover track record in June with a 1:53 score with Young in the bike.
Post 2 has Fleet Sensation (6-1) with Gilles Barrieau in the bike for trainer Dean Nixon. The Windsor, Ont., shipper was a $4,500 claim on June 11 at Hiawatha Horse Park in Sarnia, Ont., before winning his next six while climbing the class ladder. The nine-year-old How Fleet He Is gelding won his last start in 1:51.2 at Mohawk Racetrack in a $20,000 claimer.
Post 3 has Fire On The Water (5-2) for driver Anthony MacDonald and trainer Steve Nichols. The Real Artist five-year-old boasts $119,280 in seasonal earnings and was a winner in 1:49.3 July 9 at Mohawk. His second last start he was beat a length and a half by Foiled Again, Giddy Up Lucky, and Hypnotic Blue Chip while finishing four in the Battle Of Lake Erie, pacing in 1:52.1 over Northfield’s half-mile oval that was rated a second off.
Pan Larceny (12-1) leaves from post four for trainer Charles Gaudreault and driver Maxim Gaudreault. The six-year-old by The Panderosa finished fourth his last start, pacing in 1:56.2 in the $7,500 Kelti Burnett Memorial at Woodstock, N.B. He has one win and one second from only five 2011 starts.
Post 5 has Oakmont (8-1) with trainer-driver Danny Romo. A runner-up his last start to Formal Affair in the $8,000 Christime Deagle Memorial, the four-year-old son of I Am A Fool has four wins and $36,827 in seasonal earnings.
Im Gorgeous (7-2) leaves from post 6 for driver Mike Stevenson and trainer George Teague. The Bettors Delight four-year-old has two wins in 11 starts this year, including a 1:51 victory at Harrah’s Chester in Pennsylvania. Last year he was a runner-up to Rocknoll Heaven in the $410,789 Little Brown Jug final, pacing his mile in 1:49.4 over Delaware, Ohio’s half mile oval.
Chasin Racin (4-1) leaves from post 7 for driver John MacDonald and trainer Andrew Moore. He is the lone P.E.I. owned entry in the field, with owners Jamie MacKinley of Cornwall, and Island native Jody Sanderson (along with wife Larissa) of Doha, Qatar. The five-year-old son of The Panderosa has two wins from 10 starts this year, including a 1:52.3 score in the preferred pace at Ottawa’s Rideau Carleton Raceway.
From post 8 is Awesome Armbro N (10-1) with James MacDonald, who makes his Gold Cup and Saucer trial debut, at the lines for trainer Rene Allard. The Armbro Operative nine-year-old was a recent winner in 1:54.2 over Grand River Raceway.
The second $12,500 Gold Cup and Saucer trial is carded as race 12 on Sunday afternoon’s 1 p.m. card.
Firethorn (7-2) has drawn the rail for driver John MacDonald and trainer Ron MacDonald. The Dragon Again five-year-old has six wins from 21 starts this season including a pair of 1:52.4 wins this past winter at Woodbine Racetrack in Rexdale, Ont.
Post 2 belongs to Southwind Lynx (5-2) and Stevenson for trainer Teague. The winner of $1,747,430 lifetime has five wins from 20 starts this year, including a 1:52 victory over Harrington, Delaware’s half mile oval.
As Tuff As Nails (10-1) has post 3 with Marc Whebby at the lines for trainer Wayne Whebby. The Bettors Delight four-year-old has six wins from 17 starts, including a 1:55.1 win in an elimination of the Cecil Ladner Memorial series. He won his last start in 1:55.4 in the Kelti Burnett Memorial in Woodstock.
Post 4 has CDP track record holder and defending Gold Cup and Saucer champion Part Shark (3-1) with Barrieau in the bike for trainer Prezcator. The five-year-old son fo Four Starzzz Shark has four wins from 14 starts this year and paced his last mile in 1:51.2 over Mohawk.
Post 5 has Ultimate Success (12-1) with Lenny Myers driving for trainer Willis Silliker. The Western Success five-year-old was a winner in 1:57.1 his last start in the Saturday night feature at Charlottetown.
Did It Again (6-1) leaves from post 6 for driver Marc Campbell and trainer Allard. A winner his last start in 1:54 over Grand River, the Western Hanover six-year-old has three wins from 10 starts this year including a 1:51 victory at Georgian Downs.
Post 7 is occupied by Rare Jewel (4-1) and driver Ryan Ellis for trainer Scott Bell, who trained 2005 Gold Cup and Saucer winner Driven To Win. The 10-year-old son of Artiscape has 59 wins and $1,378,532 in earnings lifetime. He has five wins this year including a 1:53.1 victory over Saratoga Raceway in New York.
Carnivore (15-1) leaves from post 8 with driver Terry Gallant in the bike for trainer Earl Watts. The son of Real Desire boasts $570,266 in lifetime earnings and is making his second 2011 start in this trial.
Western Raydar (8-1) has trailing post 9 for driver Dave Dowling and his brother, trainer Mike Dowling, both originally from Cornwall. The Western Maverick pacer was a winner his second last start in 1:53.1 over Flamboro Downs.
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Trainer George Teague good chance of making final
The three Gold Cup and Saucer trials will highlight the Saturday evening, Sunday afternoon, and Monday evening cards at the Charlottetown Driving Park and the trainer with the best chance of winning all three of them calls Delaware home.
Trainer George Teague has sent 508 starters postward so far in 2011, with 92 wins, 92 seconds, and 76 third, good for $2,455,205 in seasonal earnings. Teague was the guest speaker at the P.E.I. Standardbred Horseowner’s Association in March, and had never been to P.E.I. before.
"I had a good time when I was down there in the winter and I wanted to send something up," Teague said Friday from Delaware. "Economically it’s not a great idea but it’s a nice place and everyone says it’s a great race."
He decided to send Millionaire pacer Western Ace and Southwind Lynx, along with last year’s Little Brown Jug runner-up Im Gorgeous. His horses are under the care of Darren Trainor and Jennifer Doyle while on P.E.I. Montrell Teague (George’s son) would normally drive the pacers, but he is scheduled to drive in the Battle Of Brandywine Sunday afternoon at Harrah’s Chester in Pennsylvania and couldn’t find suitable flights. Mike Stevenson, who formally raced in Delaware and Maryland, has been selected to drive the three pacers.
"Mike was a real good driver when he was in the States and Darren (Trainor) mentioned using him to me," Teague said. "It was a real easy decision. I know both his parents (who live in the U.S.) and they’re great people."
Im Gorgeous leaves from post 6 in Saturday night’s trial. He had been pacing in 1:51 over Harrah’s Chester’s five-eights oval but made a break his last start racing at Harrington, Delaware’s half-mile track.
"He made a break the other day so that concerned me a little," he said. "He drew six and you don’t want to draw outside of four on a half mile track. But he’s a real good horse on a half mile track."
Southwind Lynx has drawn post 2 in Sunday afternoon’s trial. The winner of $1.7 million was a former Meadowlands Pace winner in a torrid 1:48.3, but has won in 1:52 over Harrington.
"He was the main one I was going to send, along with Im Gorgeous," Teague said. "I like his chances no matter what. He’s good enough to go with anything."
Trial 3, set to be held on Monday night, has Western Ace off the rail for Teague and Stevenson. Teague admits the winner of $1.9 million has been racing the worst of the three horses he sent to Prince Edward Island, but says he put in a sharp qualifier in 1:53.2 at Harrah’s Chester on Aug. 2.
"I’m not real familiar with the horses up there but he’ll go with them," Teague said of Western Ace. "He’s got a lot of class to him. When he’s right he can go with anything."
Teague won’t be here to see the trials but hopes to get to P.E.I. the middle of next week for a short vacation and see his horses compete next weekend. He says his intentions if all three make the final are to have Montrell and Islander Mark MacDonald drive, if possible.
"It should be a lot of fun."
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Saturday is doubleheader day at the CDP
The first doubleheader of Old Home Week racing goes this afternoon with a 1 p.m. post time at the Charlottetown Driving Park.
Three A-division of the Atlantic Sires Stakes for three-year-old filly pacers headlines the 12-dash card. Race 8 has a $8,840 division featuring Diamond Coast and Gilles Barrieau as the morning line favorite from post 2. The Coastocoast Yankee filly has had three second-place finishes in a row for owner Dan Belliveau of Halifax. From the rail out, the six horse field includes Force Of Fire (Clare MacDonald), Diamond Coast, Ultimate Spirit (Todd Trites), Just Coastin Along (Marc Campbell), Our Lady Byng (Kenny Arsenault), and Acton Noisey (Danny Romo).
The second division has Honey Do Jigtime and MacDonald installed as the favorite from post 4. The filly, owned by Morah Kerr and Phonsie MacEachern of N.S., is riding a four race win streak and will look to add to her $41,828 in season earnings. The Campbell trained Grayland Rain, who leaves from post 2, is also on a four race win streak for owner Paul Gray of Pugwash, N.S. Also in the race is Galamoe (Trites), Hoy Diggity Della (Joh Hawco), K D Go Onn (Barrieau), and Mooshy Mooshy Bea (Romo).
The final division will go as race 12, with Moon Landing favoured from post 3 with Barrieau in the bike. Owned by Pat Eastwood of Saint John, the Quick Comeback filly has $31,680 in the bank so far this year and has been undefeated in Atlantic Sires Stakes action.
The race also includes Forthena (MacDonald), Acton Normal (Shane Bernard), Woodmere Grinny (Arsenault), Sunnysidegal (Trites), Elm Grove Future (Mike Stevenson), and Bemused (Campbell).
Four $2,500 Atlantic Sires Stakes B divisions will go as races 2, 4, 6, and 11.
