Phil Dorleans fights for Charlottetown victory

CHARLOTTETOWN, PE – The front end was stepping in the Thursday evening (Jul. 28) finale but it was Phil Dorleans (Shanghai Phil) who emerged from the pack and landed in the winner’s circle at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park.

Race favourite Cindys Party Boy (Driven by Mark McKinnon) was sent hard to the lead in the $2,200 class and set the tempo in 26.4 and 55.1 then gave way up the backstretch heading to the 1:26.4 three-quarters. The rest of the field swarmed the leader in the final quarter and Phil Dorleans came calling to win by half-a-length in 1:57.1 over Mission Three (Ken Murphy) and The Big Chase (Corey MacPherson). Jason Hughes trains and drives Phil Dorleans for owners Kent and Andrew Williams and Lyndon Hardy.

PHIL DORLEANS REPLAY

Hughes also won earlier on the card from his own stable as he steered Century J Rock (Artspeak) to a 1:59.3 maiden breaking score in race 2 for owners Tommy and John Collings.

Marc Campbell crossed the wire first in four separate races on the evening for the grand slam. The Orwell driver won with Billy Bayama (1:56) for trainer Blaine McKenna, Zack The Men (1:58.1) from the Michael MacDonald barn, and St Charlesfireball (1:55.2) and Cutter Loose (1:57), both from his own stable. Campbell now sits third for drivers at the capital oval with 39 victories after winning the dash race the past 12 seasons. David Dowling (45 wins) leads the way amongst drivers but is absent from action this week after undergoing an operation with Gilles Barrieau (40 wins) in second place.

CENTURY J ROCK REPLAY

Live racing continues Saturday evening featuring Harness The Hope and the Standardbred Canada Atlantic Regional Driving Championship at Red Shores Charlottetown with a 6:30 P.M. start time. Red Shores Summerside races Sunday afternoon at 1 P.M. with the P.E.I. Colt Stakes for two and three-year-old trotters and two-year-old pacers.

For more information go to Redshores.ca.

For complete race results, click here.

by Nicholas Oakes, for Red Shores