Atlantic Regional Driving Championship hits Charlottetown

CHARLOTTETOWN, PE – Saturday night (Jul. 30) is a card for harness racing fans across North America as the Standardbred Canada Atlantic Regional Driving Championship is featured alongside Harness The Hope at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park.

The capital oval has a spectacular 12-dash card slated for a 6:30 P.M. Atlantic start time with eight drivers going head-to-head for two spots in the National Driving Championship this fall in Alberta.

P.E.I. is represented in the Atlantic Regional by Corey MacPherson, Gilles Barrieau, Jason Hughes and Marc Campbell with Todd Trites carrying the banner for New Brunswick and Mark Pezzarello, Paul Langille and Redmond Doucet coming from Nova Scotia. The drivers will go postward in races 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10 with points awarded based on their finishes.

“If you like harness racing the July 30th card is one you don’t want to miss,” says Red Shores general manager David MacKenzie. “The very best drivers in Atlantic Canadian harness racing from Fredericton, N.B., to Lingan, N.S., will be front and centre at Red Shores Charlottetown and they will be laying it all out on the track in the Atlantic Driving Championship while we also celebrate Harness The Hope Night in support of Breast Cancer Canada.”

MacKenzie notes that some of the greatest drivers in harness racing history call the East Coast of Canada home as he is excited to see who the two top notch reinsmen will be to advance to the National Driving Championship at Century Mile in Edmonton, Alta., Nov. 24. The winner of the National Driving Championship will represent Canada at the World Driving Championship next year in Italy.

“My compliments to our team in the Red Shores race office for putting together an incredible card this Saturday,” MacKenzie said. “And to our customers please be sure to come join us live at the track or watch our world class broadcast online at Redshores.ca.”

For complete race entries, click here.

Stakes Stars To Summerside Sunday 

SUMMERSIDE, PE – The oldest Standardbred Stakes program in Canada continues its 2022 season with the P.E.I. Colt Stakes filling the Sunday afternoon (Jul. 31) program at Red Shores at the Summerside Raceway.

The Prince County oval has a 14-dash all-stakes program with a 1 P.M. start time Sunday afternoon featuring the P.E.I. Colt Stakes for two-year-old pacers and two and three-year-old trotters.

Race 5 will see Tobins Profit (Stonebridge Terror) put his undefeated record to the test in a $12,400 Gold division for two-year-old pacing colts. Jason Hughes drives the horse for trainer Danny Romo and owners Kevin Dorey, Robert Sumarah and Frank Brundle with the horse winning all three of his races in his fresh career.

Malignity is top choice in the other P.E.I. Colt Stakes Gold division in race 9 for trainer-driver Paul Langille and owners Debbie Francis and Rosanne Langille of Nova Scotia.

The two-year-old pacing colts have grassroots action in races 3 and 13 with $6,200 on the line in each dash.

The two-year-old pacing fillies have $11,950 Gold divisions in races 11 and 14. The first P.E.I. Colt Stakes Gold split for the ladies in race 11 sees Rosetown Mary (Pang Shui – Brodys Leona) as the morning line favourite for owners Kerry and Emily Taylor and Lisa MacPherson. Corey MacPherson trains and drives.

Speakingofshadow (Artspeak) has post 3 as the early favourite in the race 14 finale Gold division. She sports two wins and a second in her career for owners Josh and Mark MacDonald and trainer-driver Mike McGuigan.

Grassroots divisions for rookie pacing fillies line up in races 1, 7 and 12 for $5,975 purses.

The two-year-old trot fillies have a $8,860 purse in race 2 with the colts squaring off in race 4.

Up Helly AA rides an 11-race win streak into the P.E.I. Colt Stakes in race 10 for sophomore trotting colts with Ken MacDonald driving the Clare MacDonald trainee. The three-year-old trotting fillies have a $9,940 division in race 6.

The Island Oceans Trot series, presented by JD Marine & Diving, has its first leg in race 8 of the day for a $4,300 pot as Sailor Blue is the top choice with rail control for driver Ken Murphy and trainer Jeff Holmes after winning her last two starts.

For more information go to Redshores.ca and wager online at HPIBet.com.

For complete race entries, click here.

by Nicholas Oakes, for Red Shores