CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. – Bettim Jackie has been razor sharp in stakes competition against the top sophomores on the Eastern Seaboard but gets her toughest test tonight against aged campaigners at Red Shores at the Charlottetown Driving Park.
The 10-dash card gets underway at 6:30 p.m. with Bettim Jackie installed as second choice in the six-horse top event carded as Race 9, sponsored by MacPherson Roche and Smith.
Gilles Barrieau is back in the bike behind the daughter of Andreoli Hanover for trainer Jeff Lilley of Milton, who co-owns with Danny Purcell of Newport, N.S., and Blair MacLauchlan of Charlottetown.
The talented pacer has seven wins from 18 seasonal tries along with $76,645 in earnings this year.
She will face off with Governor’s Plate finalist Nogreatmischief, who gets Post 5 in this week’s $2,300 contest for trainer-driver Walter Cheverie. Fast N Victorious also makes a return to pari-mutuel competition in the class after a pair of qualifiers and gets Post 6 for driver Adam Merner and trainer Stephen Gass.
Race analyst Les MacIsaac is going a different route from the morning odds and will look to Post 2 starter Oh To Be Me and driver Gary Chappell to hit the winner’s circle while dropping out of the preferred ranks.
“After being stuck on the outside for the past month Oh To Be Me lands in a favourable spot that should allow him to exploit that good late burst,” MacIsaac said. “He could be the one to knock off.”
Rounding out the field is Narragansett (Jason Hughes) and The Big Bite (Kenny Arsenault).
The top trot lines up in the Race 5 D &G Younker Memorial for a $1,800 purse.
Frill Seeker is the race favourite from Post 4 for trainer-driver Kenny Arsenault and owner Ebbsfleet Stable of Stratford, Ont. Other top entries include Glencove Carter (Steven Shepherd) and Majian Tango (Jim Ripley).
– Compiled by Nicholas Oakes for Red Shores.
