CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. – The 2018 harness racing season is in the books on Prince Edward Island and one horse has risen to the top of his class amongst all his North American peers.
Sock It Away finished off the 2018 season with the most wins of any horse under the age of six across the continent. The three-year-old colt captured 20 of the 21 races he competed in during his sophomore campaign for trainer Kevin MacLean and owner Reg MacPherson of Stratford. That puts the son of Pang Shui in first place for all three-year-olds, regardless of gait or gender, in North America and ties him for second place amongst all horses on the continent with six-year-old Windsong Leo, who races at The Meadows in Pennsylvania for trainer Ron Burke. Southwind Amazon finished the year with the most wins in North America at 22 victories from his Ohio base. Sock It Away’s record put him at first place for all standardbreds in Canada.
In the two-year-old ranks, Magical Mistress was the top pacer for wins with her undefeated record from 12 races for owner Barry Martin of Nova Scotia and trainer Stephen Gass. That summary puts her first for all two-year-olds in the nation and second on the continent behind two-year-old trotting filly Loussolataire, who had 16 wins from an incredible 33 rookie starts racing in Illinois and Iowa.
In the two-legged categories, Charlottetown native Wally Hennessey finished 14th in the U.S. for wins at 382 victories in 2018 and was the top percentage driver on the continent with a .440 average. New Brunswick native Gilles Barrieau, who competed almost exclusively on P.E.I. in 2018, finished second for percentage at .418, while Winsloe resident Marc Campbell was sixth for driving average in North America at .388.
Stratford native Patrick Shepherd finished second in Canada for dash wins and eighth in North America for victories at 207 races on the year from his Ontario base.
Cornwall native John MacDonald is the leading percentage trainer of the North American harness racing season among trainers with more than 500 starts sporting a sparkling .400 training average. MacDonald campaigns a stable in Vernon, N.Y., during the summer months and at Pompano Park, Fla., during the winter.
Nick’s Picks
Saturday at 12:30 p.m. at Red Shores at the Charlottetown Driving Park:
Race 1 – Navy Pilot Hanover
Race 2 – Is There An Issue
Race 3 – Sir Native
Race 4 – Julep Hanover
Race 5 – Hemingway
Race 6 – What A Babe
Race 7 – Dusty Lane Zendaya
Race 8 – Kinross Kate
Race 9 – Burn Out Hanover
Race 10 – Lincoln Blues
Race 11 – Rash B Havior
Race 12 – Euchred
Race 13 – Smart Official
Nicholas Oakes' column appears in The Guardian each Friday. He can be reached at [email protected].
