Stakes season begins at Truro with Turner Memorial

Harness racing stake season kicks off this Sunday (May 21) at Truro Raceway.

The Donnie and George Turner Memorial will be held and separated into three separate divisions. There will be two filly divisions, while the colts and geldings all fit into one.

Race 5: DONNIE AND GEORGE TURNER MEMORIAL, THREE-YEAR-OLD FILLIES- $10,400

1. REDLAND MISSPRETTY (7-2)
2. TOO MUCH FOR YOU (6-1)
3. WOODMERE MACERENA (9-2)
4. OUR GIRL ANNIE (5-2)
5. RUN FOR THE MONEY (5-1)
6. SINGING RAMONA (3-1)
7. WOODMERE JADE (4-1)

Our Girl Annie (Arthur Blue Chip) will be making her 2023 debut on Sunday. She qualified on May 11 by pacing her mile in 2:00.3. She now will look to regain her form from last year. Then, she visited the winner’s circle six times in nine starts. Some of her victories include the Atlantic Breeders Crown Final and the Maritime Breeders Final, which was held at Truro Raceway. Her lifetime mark of 1:57.1 is the second fastest in the field. So she’s hard to bet against in this one.

I will take Redland Misspretty (Source Of Pride) for second place. Her last time out, she had the rail and went wire-to-wire in 1:57.2. That performance was good enough for a new lifetime mark. She went winless in 2022 but looks to be in great form now. Redland Misspretty should be able to keep up with Our Girl Annie and make it a close finish at the wire.

I will take Singing Ramona (Sportswriter) for my third-place selection. She has the fastest lifetime mark of 1:56.3, the top lifetime mark in the field. Although she has not won this year, she has still shown speed. She qualified with a mile time of 1:58.3 and has improved on that time in each of her starts. Singing, Ramona recorded a time of 1:57.0 her last time out, but she, unfortunately, finished fourth. It’s clear she has speed, but coming from post position six might put her at the back of the pack early.

Trey’s Picks: 4-1-6

RACE 8: DONNIE AND GEORGE TURNER MEMORIAL, THREE-YEAR-OLD COLTS- $10,900 

1. NO BOATS ON SUNDAY (6-1)
2. MERAKI (7-1)
3. WOODMERE XSPEEDIA (5-1)
4. TOBINS PROFIT (7-2)
5. IMPECCABLE SHADOW (3-1)
6. HOWMAC CHARMER (8-1)
7. THE MIDNIGHT TRAIN (9-2
8. MALIGNITY (5-2)
9. SAULSBROOK IAN (4-1)

Malignity (Malicious) ended last year on a four-race winning streak. Two of those wins include the ATSS Breeders Crowns Final and the Maritime Breeders Final. He has earned over $71,000 in just eleven-lifetime starts. Malignity has a lifetime mark of 1:54.0, the fastest in the field. He was entered into two qualifiers before heading into this race. In the first one, he paced the mile in 1:56.4 and followed that one up with a mile of 1:58.4. This gelding should receive much attention at the windows.

Impeccable Shadow (Shadow Play) has made two starts at Charlottetown Driving Park this year. His last start was an impressive win in 1:55.4, which earned him a new lifetime mark. That’s a mile time he will need to have in him on Sunday if he hopes to win. After that, he could do it and put severe pressure on Malignity.

My third-place selection is going to be Saulsbrook Ian (Betterthancheddar). He won his 2023 debut in 1:57.3. Saulsbrook Ian wrapped up his 2022 campaign at Woodbine Mohawk Park, where he competed in the Harvest Series. The best he could perform there was a fourth-place finish and a pair of fifths. Now he can show what he can do again on a half-mile track. I recommend putting Saulsbrook Ian on your ticket.

Trey’s Picks: 8-5-9

RACE 10: DONNIE AND GEORGE TURNER MEMORIAL, THREE-YEAR-OLD FILLIES- $10,400

1. ROCK N ROLL CAYS  (5-2)
2. WOODMERE CLARA (3-1)
3. SHADOW OF A LADY (5-1)
4. SALTWATER TERROR (6-1)
5. WOODMERE HEATHER M (9-2)
6. GOSISTERSOULSISTER (7-2)
7. ROSETOWN MARY (4-1)

Woodmere Clara (He’s Watching) wants to make it four wins in a row. She ended 2022 with a victory paced in 1:57.0, which is now her new lifetime mark. She has yet to reach that time so far this year, but she might need to hit similar to win on Sunday. Mary Macdonald owns, trains, and drives the young filly. It could be a reasonable price on the duo at post-time if the bettors bet heavily on my following selection.

Rock N Roll Cays (Tobago Cays) has earned the morning line favourite title heading into this one. She has some of the best race times compared to her competition. Her lifetime mark is 1:56.4, which she earned during last year’s ATTS Breeders Crown Final. Rock N Roll Cays has never finished worse than second place in her nine career starts. I expect that to stay the same this weekend.

Woodmere Heather M (Malicious) has been consistently pacing under 2:00.0. She has yet to find the winner’s circle in 2023 but has been near the top in her two starts. Her lifetime mark 1:58.2 should be good enough to keep up with my top choices. Woodmere Heather M does come from the center of the track, but if she finds a room, she can be dangerous.

Trey’s Picks: 2-1-5

I will go over the Donnie and George Turner Memorial in greater detail during Harness News Live, which airs Saturday, May 20. Click here to access the YouTube channel.

Twelve races are in the program for Sunday afternoon—post time at Truro Raceway at 1:00 p.m. ADT.      

by Trey Colbeck, for Harnesslink