CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. – Harness racing on the ‘Garden of the Gulf’ will officially be in full swing on Monday afternoon as Red Shores at the Summerside Raceway opens up for the season with Victoria Day racing.
The 12-dash program is set to kick off at 1 p.m. The Prince County racing season will celebrate a milestone this year with its signature event, the Governor’s Plate, holding its 50th edition on July 14.
The Atlantic Canadian signature event already has a horse with a target placed square on his back if anyone wants to land in the winner’s circle on that Saturday evening in July.
In Spades has been sharp in Ontario racing so far in 2018 for new owner Walter Simmons of Summerside, who would like nothing more than to win his hometown race. In Spades was a spectacular winner in 1:52.4 on Sunday over the tight half-mile oval at The Raceway at Western Fair District in London, Ont.
The four-year-old son of Bettor’s Delight was on top at every call for driver J. Harris with fractions of 26.4, 56.1 and 1:24 en route to his fast victory in the $11,500 preferred pace. The trip would have been the fastest mile of the season on a half-mile track in Canada had it not been for the Confederation Cup eliminations held last weekend at Flamboro Downs.
Canada Wide
The Ontario Regional Driving Championship was held Wednesday night at The Raceway at Western Fair District.
Trevor Henry won the event and will advance to the National Driving Championship alongside second-place finisher Louis-Philippe Roy. Stratford native Robert Shepherd finished fifth in the event. Henry and Roy will be two of the eight drivers at the National Driving Championship in September at Grand River Raceway in Ontario, with the winner of that event heading to the World Driving Championship set for 2019 in Sweden. Kingston native James MacDonald will be at the World Driving Championship looking to defend his title, giving Canada the opportunity to send two participants.
Who’s Hot
Cartoon Daddy has been nothing short of impeccable so far in the 2018 summer meet, giving his trainer Rachel Andrew a perfect three-for-three summary. Andrew trains the six-year-old son of Art Major for owners Brian Andrew of Milton and William Andrew of Calgary.
While also standing for stallion duty at Meridian Farms, Cartoon Daddy took a seasonal record of 1:56.2 last week for driver Corey MacPherson and will get his biggest test to date Saturday evening in the preferred pace carded as Race 9 on the Red Shores at the Charlottetown Driving Park program.
Nick’s Picks
Saturday at 6 p.m. at Red Shores at the Charlottetown Driving Park:
Race 1 – Caughtfoolinaround
Race 2 – Weekend Atnannies
Race 3 – Four Corners
Race 4 – Tobins Lightning
Race 5 – Smiley Bayama
Race 6 – Elm Grove Matthews
Race 7 – Junebugs Baby
Race 8 – Fly With Max
Race 9 – Euchred
Race 10 – Cabo Pan Lucas
Nicholas Oakes' column appears in The Guardian each Friday. He can be reached at [email protected].
