Colin Johnson notches 3,500th training win

CHARLOTTETOWN, PE – Marching up the passing lane in the Saturday evening preferred pace G A Speed Sammy delivered a milestone victory as his trainer Colin Johnson celebrated win number 3,500 of his career.

A former top trainer in Quebec and Ontario harness racing, Johnson has relocated with wife Debbie Element to Village Green, P.E.I., to retire. Their charge, G A Speed Sammy (Driven by David Dowling), drafted a two-hole ride in the $3,400 preferred pace behind Avatar J (Kenny Arsenault) through splits of 27.4, 56.2 and 1:24.4 then fired up the inside to win by a length in 1:53.4.

Day Delight (Gilles Barrieau) closed in the stretch drive to finish second while Avatar J hung on for third.

Barrieau was the hot commodity of the evening with a quartet of triumphs on the Saturday card to increase his Charlottetown win total to 38 with second place Dowling now at 23 victories.

Barrieau scored a pair of wins from his own barn with three-year-old pacing colts Steel Reefer (1:59.1) and Dustylanegoliath (1:55). The New Brunswick native also teamed up with trainer Ron Matheson to win with Ashes To Ashes (1:58.2) while his other win was in a lifetime best performance with Betterthanbutter (1:56.3) from the Ron Gass barn.

Trainer Jeff Holmes went undefeated on the night winning with Burn Out Hanover (1:56.1) in line to Corey MacPherson and with Rose Run Quest (1:56.3) with Dowling in the bike. The Orwell trainer has won all of his last five races.

Total wager was $81,229. Live racing continues Thursday and Saturday at Red Shores Charlottetown and Friday at Red Shores Summerside with 6 P.M. post times for all programs. For race replays and more go to Redshores.ca.
by Nicholas Oakes, for Red Shores