Dr. Ian Moore had a training double Saturday at Mohawk Raceway in Campbellville, Ont., as Percy Blue Chip continued her undefeated season and Shadow Moon resumed his young career with only one blemish on his chart lines.
Percy Blue Chip has been making headlines every start in her young career after setting a new Georgian Downs two-year-old pacing filly track record in her first lifetime start and finding the winner’s circle again Saturday night at Mohawk in a $192,333 division of the Eternal Camnation stake. Trevor Henry was in the bike behind the Moore trainee, who is unbeaten in four freshman outings with $240,766 earned after being purchased as a yearling for $110,000 at the Forest City Yearling Sale in Ontario.
Shadow Moon was a 1:51.4 winner in his $113,525 Nassagaweya divison for two-year-old colt pacers for Moore and Henry. The two-year-old son of former Moore pupil, Shadow Play, was a $60,000 purchase at the Harrisburg yearling sale in Pennsylvania by Moore, R G McGroup Ltd., of Bathurst, N.B., Serge Savard of St-Bruno, Que., and Gordon McComb of Fall River, N.S. The talented pacer is eligible for the estimated $700,000 Metro Pace slated for Sept. 23 at Mohawk.
P.E.I. Scene
The Saturday evening program at Red Shores at the Charlottetown Driving Park (CDP) has Ron Matheson making his first starts back in the race bike.
The well-liked and respected horseman has not driven since he was injured in the race paddock on May 6 before a qualifier. A winner of 1,080 lifetime races, Matheson has three drives on Saturday’s card.
Maritime Scene
Marc Campbell continued his dominance of the three-year-old pacing filly division in Atlantic Sires Stakes action Saturday at Northside Downs in North Sydney, N.S. Campbell swept the $10,200 A divisions with his own trainees as Elektra Express won in 1:58.1 and Filly Forty Seven was a 1:57.3 winner. Campbell also won a $9,900 Atlantic Sires Stakes three-year-old pacing colt A division with Nameisonthehalter for Nova Scotia connections while the other A split was won by Island-owned Ashes To Ashes for driver Gary Chappell and trainer Jackie Matheson.
The stakes trail continues Saturday afternoon at Exhibition Park Raceway in Saint John, N.B., with the Williamson Memorial stakes for two-year-old pacers and the Maritimer stake that will go two heats for three-year-old pacing fillies with many of the major players in the division absent from those races.
Canada Wide
Gold Cup and Saucer starter Crombie A makes his next start Saturday afternoon at Saint-Esprit, Que., in fair action. The former CDP track record holder is racing in a $2,000 invitational during the fair date with French River resident Jordan MacKay at the lines of the Rene Allard trainee. MacKay, who has cared for Allard horses Ys Lotus and Do Over Hanover, is not a licensed pari-mutuel driver but a license is not necessary for Quebec fair events.
Nick’s Picks
Saturday at 6 p.m. at Red Shores at the Charlottetown Driving Park:
Race 1 – Dustylanekazaam
Race 2 – Celebrate Your Bet
Race 3 – Pownal Bay Saul
Race 4 – JK Rocket
Race 5 – Fly With Max
Race 6 – Sinners In Heaven
Race 7 – Twin B Shadow
Race 8 – Perfect Escape
Race 9 – Jetta Flys
Race 10 – Woodmere Articblue
Race 11 – Jetster
Race 12 – Caracci Hanover
Race 13 – Alberta Sky
Nicholas Oakes' column appears in The Guardian each Friday. He can be reached at [email protected].