First race post time is 6 p.m. for the 13-dash card with the personable Matheson seeing a return to action in Race 5 aboard Artners In Crime from Post 4 for trainer and son Jackie Matheson.
The elder Matheson drove the first two dates when racing resumed in April in Charlottetown but then suffered a leg injury in the race paddock before a qualifier on May 6.
A winner of 1,080 races lifetime as driver along with $1.2 million in purses, Matheson has been a frequent leading percentage driver in Charlottetown and past winner of the Acorn Memorial and Paul MacDonald Memorial trophy for top driver on Horseperson’s Day.
Matheson will also drive Starcastic from Post 3 in Race 8’s $2,100 back-up pace where Eagle Jolt (driven by Marc Campbell) is the morning line favourite. Four Corners will complete Matheson’s trio of drives in Race 13 while shouldered with Post 8.
The Saturday evening feature will see Adkins Hanover defend his ranking of morning line favourite from Post 5 in the $2,400 event. Corey MacPherson drives the Trevor Hicken trainee against a very deep field of pacers. Caracci Hanover (Jason Hughes) has been impressive since relocating to the East Coast for conditioner Jennifer Trainor while his stablemate Mr Irresistible has Post 7 with Ken Murphy picking up the catch drive.
The $2,250 fillies and mares open pace hits the track in Race 10 as defending champion Good Luck Kathy has Post 6 for the combination of Hughes and Trainor for owner Danny Birt of Stratford. Ramblinglily again has the outside with that being Post 8 this week for Cheverie and trainer Alan Jones while Prettyndangerous returns from being scratched sick to ride her two-race win streak into Post 7 for driver Merner and trainer Bo Ford.
Compiled by Nicholas Oakes for Red Shores.
