Old Home Week officially kicks off

First race post time is 6:30 PM with the Dr. Blair Kelly Memorial headlining the feature event in race 9 for a $2,350. The Memorial race is presented by the Charlottetown Vet Clinic, of which Kelly was a former owner, and the race will have one contender even more eager to hit the winner's circle with post 5 starter Starcastic. The four-year-old son of Allamerican Native was a winner in his latest outing for trainer Jackie Matheson and owners Bobbi Jo Gaudet and Billy MacKenzie. Dr. Kelly was an instrumental owner in helping the Matheson stable get off the ground over 20 years ago so the sure to be hard fought battle to find the winner's circle will be left in driver Gilles Barrieau's hands.

Oh To Be Me is the morning line choice in the race from post 1 for trainer-driver-owner Gary Chappell of Charlottetown. The Fit For Life gelding has been on fire lately with his last two miles in 1:55 and change.

Race analyst Les MacIsaac will take a different approach and will back Narragansett from post 3 for trainer-driver Jason Hughes and owner Foxyhall Racing of Nova Scotia.

"While this is a nice group, they're not of the calibre he's been facing, and he's been more than holding his own against those," MacIsaac said of Narragansett. "He'll be hard to deny."

Other entries include Iron Phil (Louis Philippe Roy), Dbs Rosco (Kenny Arsenault), Spirit Of America (Mark Bradley), Waterside Light (Marc Campbell) and Smiley Bayama (Adam Merner).

The Old Home Week Merchandise Gift Shop Pace hits the track in race 6 with McMaverick (Keith Campbell) favoured over Beckenbauer (Hughes) and newcomer Willi Ray (Chappell).

Officials are proud to announce free admission to the Old Home Week grounds after 9 PM every evening for those 19 years and older.

By Nicholas Oakes for Red Shores