MacPherson, Gass favoured in features

CHARLOTTETOWN, PE – The preferred pace lines up again Saturday afternoon with a familiar face returning to the harness racing fray at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park.

The 14-dash Saturday program has a 12:30 P.M. start time and Rose Run Quest is home to take on P.E.I.'s best in race 13 of the day. Owned by Blair Hansen of Charlottetown, the former Governor's Plate champion will return to the Gilles Barrieau stable after a short stint in Ontario. The 49-time winner has post 2 in the $2,900 preferred pace at 6-1 morning line odds after going down to defeat in all three of his Ontario starts. Screen Test is the top choice from post 6 for driver Corey MacPherson and trainer Ronnie Gass, riding a two-race win streak at this level into this week's contest. Chocolate Swirl (To be driven by Jason Hughes) has post 3 after winning both of his East Coast tries from the red hot Jennifer Doyle barn. Revenant also has a two-race win streak and will start from post 5 for trainer-driver Adam Merner.

Peter MacPhee with the Post Time Picks places Screen Test on top of his tickets. "Screen Test blasted off the wings last week and made every call a winning one scoring in 1:56.4," MacPhee said. "He's assigned post six this week and we'll see what Corey does but if they fire home in 28.1 again he could triple up." Also in the preferred field are Winter Blast (Ken Murphy) and Burn Out Hanover (David Dowling).

Woodmere Chella leads the way in the race 9 Fillies and Mares Open for a $2,900 pot for driver MacPherson and trainer Gass. Starting from post 1, the Valleygrove Farms owned mare was a runner-up in her return to Island racing to Dreamfair Zenfire, who is not entered this week.

Roselily makes her East Coast debut from post 5 in that class for trainer-driver Merner and owner Robin Burke of Brackley. The seven-year-old daughter of Big Jim has been racing the claiming ranks ay Yonkers Raceway in New York and has won 17 times in her career for $211,109 in purse money.

Race 5 is the Chef Of The Year – Andrew Smith pace with Pacific Delight the morning line favourite from post 9 for driver Barrieau and trainer Ron Matheson fresh off a win in 2:00 in her return to Island racing after racing the Ontario circuit. Smith, Red Shores executive chef, was recently named the 2019 chef of the year by the PEI Association of Chefs and Cooks.

Watch all the action live at Redshores.ca and wager online at HPIBet.com.

By Nicholas Oakes For Red Shores