Sailor Blue noses out Open Trot victory

CHARLOTTETOWN, PE – Sticking her nose out in the final strides, Sailor Blue (Armbro Barrister) hung on for a harness racing victory in the Thursday (May 18) evening Open Trot at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park.

Sent off at 3-1 post time odds in the $3,100 Open Trot, Sailor Blue set up shop on the front end for driver Ken Murphy and controlled the tempo through splits of :28.3, :58.2 and 1:28.3 while fighting off race favourite Jessiejesorjessica (Driven by Gilles Barrieau) in that third stanza.

Sailor Blue then fended off a last second challenge from last week’s Open Trot winner New Legacy (Adam Merner) in the stretch to hang on in a photo finish with Jessiejesorjessica third. Jeff Holmes trains Sailor Blue for the Montague trio of owners Cindy and Ambyr MacDonald along with Yossi Martonovich.

The $3,300 top pace of the night went to Ladylike (Shadow Play) and driver David Dowling in 1:56 over Dreamfair Zenfire (Marc Campbell) and Woodmere Rollily (Merner). The winning pacing mare is co-owned and trained by Jennifer Doyle for co-owner Danny Birt of Earnscliffe.

Doyle also celebrated a win earlier on the program for the double as Elm Grove Mistress delivered for Ontario driver Damian MacLellan in 1:56.1.

JJ Kinley provided the upset of the evening in race 5 winning at 25-1 odds for trainer-driver Vaughan Doyle in 1:59.2.

Live racing continues Saturday at 6 P.M. at Red Shores Charlottetown and on Monday afternoon at 1 P.M. for a Holiday Victoria Day program to open the season at Red Shores Summerside.

For more information go to Redshores.ca.

For complete race results, click here.

by Nicholas Oakes, for Red Shores