Gold Cup & Saucer hopeful breezes to victory

CHARLOTTETOWN, PE – Laughagain Hanover (McArdle) made easy work of his harness racing prep race as the Gold Cup and Saucer hopeful easily slid around the historic oval Saturday evening at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park.

Jason Hughes was in the race bike in the $3,150 preferred pace as the four-year-old eased through splits of 28.4, 58.1, 1:27.1 and 1:54.4 to win over GA Speed Sammy (Driven by David Dowling) with My Land (Gilles Barrieau) third.

The pacer was making his first start in the Teesha Symes stable for new owners Donald MacRae, Blair and Eric MacLauchlan with plans to be in the entry box for the Trials of the 63^rd Gold Cup and Saucer.

Gilles Barrieau had three winners on the evening for the triple winning with IC True Grit (1:56.2) for trainer Ron Matheson, Sports Zipper (1:59.1) for Clair Sweet and Gordies Hope (1:58.2) from the Brian Ladner barn.

The evening Preferred 1 Pace was set to be a Gold Cup and Saucer Trial preview but an accident past the three-quarter pole saw the race declared a no contest when Barrieau, driving Island Beach Boy, was unseated. Barrieau walked away from the scene under his own power and booked off his final drive of the night while all horses came out of the incident unscathed.

Live racing continues Sunday afternoon (August 7) at Red Shores Summerside with a 1 P.M. opening post time.

For complete race results, click here.

by Nicholas Oakes, for Red Shores