SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. — Magical Mistress was nothing short of superb last year and will look to remain perfect in the first Island stakes engagement of the season Sunday at Red Shores at the Summerside Raceway.
The program begins at 1 p.m. and features a trio of divisions of the Ruby Chappell Memorial Stakes for three-year-old pacing fillies as well as three divisions of the Bob Dewar Memorial Stakes for sophomore pacing colts.
Magical Mistress headlines her Chappell division in Race 7 with Merner back at the controls for trainer Stephen Gass and new owners Donald MacRae of Vernon Bridge and Allard Racing of Quebec. The daughter of Camystic has drawn Post 3 in the $8,100 class as she looks to expand on her 12-race undefeated streak put together as a two-year-old in 2018.
The program commences with a Chappell division in Race 1 with Ma Rebelle selected as the one to beat from Post 2. The daughter of Ameripan Gigolo has already recorded a 1:59.1 victory this season for trainer-driver Marc Campbell and owners Larry and Kathy Chappell of Marshfield.
Arc Light has similar prospects in the other $8,100 Chappell division in Race 5 as she leaves from Post 2 as the morning-line favourite for Campbell. The daughter of Camystic was a 1:59.2 victor in her latest start for owner Grayland Farm of Pugwash, N.S.
Bob Dewar Memorial action starts off in Race 3 with a pair of champions colliding. Last season’s Maritime Breeder’s Futurity champion, Red Dirt Boomer, leaves from Post 1 for trainer-driver Gilles Barrieau and owner Daniel Ross of Belfast. Atlantic Breeder’s Crown champion Notorious has Post 5 in the same split with Campbell in the bike for owners Shirley Symes of Springhill, N.S., and Darryl and Gordon MacLean of Winsloe.
The second Dewar division is later on the card in Race 9 with a $8,100 pot at stake. Carlisimo won the first Maritime stakes event of the season in the Dawn Bremner Memorial in New Brunswick. The son of Shadow Play must contend with the far outside at Post 7 with Campbell at the helm for trainer Kevin MacLean and owner Reg MacPherson of Stratford.
The final Dewar split has A Grand Terror favoured to win the lion’s share of the $8,100 purse for trainer-driver Gilles Barrieau and owners Wayne MacRae of Nova Scotia and Robert Tilley and Lester Mott of New Brunswick. The Camystic pacer will leave from Post 1 in the field of eight entries.
Compiled by Nicholas Oakes for Red Shores.
