Gold Cup & Saucer hopefuls tussle

CHARLOTTETOWN, PE– In what could serve as a precursor for next week's The Guardian Gold Cup and Saucer trials, the best harness racing pacers on the Eastern Seaboard will battle in the preferred pace Saturday evening at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park.

The 13-dash Saturday card has a 6 P.M. opening post time with the $3,100 preferred pace lining up in race 12. Avatar J was the boss in his latest start for driver Gilles Barrieau, trainer Danny MacDonald and owners Dean Larkin of Edwards, Ont., and Jody Sanderson of Cornwall.

The American Ideal pacer took a pocket ride to victory in 1:52.4 last week and will leave from post 5 on Saturday. Governor's Plate runner-up Time To Dance has post 2 for trainer-driver Marc Campbell after having not raced since a fourth place finish in the Lindsay Construction Cup on July 18 in Truro, N.S. Screen Test is second choice from post 3 with Corey MacPherson in the driver's seat while Rose Run Quest will leave from post 4 with Brodie MacPhee picking up the catch drive from the Campbell stable. Rose Run Quest was out of action last week but will look to add to his seven top-three finishes in the field of six.

Race analyst Les MacIsaac is taking a hunch that Rose Run Quest could be the one to knock off. "Rose Run Quest has an uncharacteristically low winning percentage but at the same time, a perfect top three record," MacIsaac said. "Since the week off could be just what the doctor ordered he might be sitting on a big one." Also in the field are Soccer Hanover (To be driven by Adam Merner) and Lisburn (Kenny Arsenault).

Race 8 has the preferred 2 pace carrying a $2,800 purse as the evening back-up class. Freddy Bear drops out of the preferred ranks and gets his trainer, Campbell, in the bike for the first time from the outside post in the field of six. Other top entries are Ashes To Ashes (Barrieau) and Jeb (Jason Hughes).

Woodmere Stealdeal Back In Town 

SUMMERSIDE, PE – One of the most impressive two-year-old colts the East Coast has ever seen will return to Red Shores at the Summerside Raceway Sunday afternoon for an all-stakes card.

Woodmere Stealdeal headlines his $7,500 Callbeck Memorial stake division for two-year-old pacing colts in race 10 with the card kicking off at 1 P.M.

Marc Campbell will drive the Danny Romo trained Woodmere Stealdeal from post 6 for Nova Scotia owners Kevin Dorey of Middle Sackville and Robert Sumarah of Halifax. The Steelhead Hanover pacer turned the Inverness Raceway track record into dust in his latest start as he toured the Cape Breton oval in 1:55.4 to lower the previous 1:58.1 rookie pacing record. The other colt splits are in races 4, 8 and 12.

The rookie fillies will also have a quartet of divisions with the first one in race 2 for a $7,000 purse. Southfield Skye has yet to taste stakes competition but handily disposed of her foes, and her maiden status, in her career debut with a 1:58 win over the Prince County oval. Adam Merner will be back in the driver's seat for trainer Glen MacKay and owner Southfield Farms Inc., of Summerside.

Divisional leader Aspoonfulofsugar will leave from post 6 in the field of seven with Dale Spence at the controls of the undefeated filly for trainer Joe Baxter. The fillies also line up in races 6, 9 and 11.

Race 5 is the lone Callbeck two-year-old trot division carrying a $9,850 purse. Mr Finlay Ridge will be the favourite in the field of nine for trainer-driver Clare MacDonald, who co-owns the Armbro Barrister – R Rocket Rachel colt with fellow Nova Scotianers Ian Tate and Arnold Rankin.

Race 7 is the Tyndal Semple Memorial for three-year-old trotters for a $10,300 pot with the older full-brother to Mr Finlay Ridge, Mabou Ridge, the favourite in that division leaving from the second tier for trainer-driver MacDonald and owner Rankin.

The Island Oceans Trot Classic, presented by JD Marine and Diving Inc, for aged trot mares line up in races 1 and 3 with $4,000 divisions.

Go to Redshores.ca to access the worldwide broadcast and wager online at HPIBet.com.

By Nicholas Oakes, for Red Shores