It’s Gold Cup & Saucer preview time!

Charlottetown Driving Park will again be in the spotlight on Saturday with a 28-race day capped off with the premiere Maritime harness racing event, the Gold Cup & Saucer.

Race 14 (Saturday): $100,000 ATLANTIC LOTTERY GOLD CUP & SAUCER

1. 1. P L OZZY 4-1
   2. LAWLESS SHADOW 6-1
   3. AMERICAN HISTORY 10-1
   4. TWIN B TUFFENUFF 7-2
   5. FUNATTHEBEACH N 3-1
   6. BEE TWO BEE 12-1
   7. ROLL EM 8-1
   8. MAJOR HILL 15-1
   9. COVERED BRIDGE 5-2

Trial 1 winner Funatthebeach N (Somebeachsomewhere) comes into the race at 3-1 morning line odds. He’s won nine times this year and has put up a 1:50.1 mile time at Yonkers Raceway. His 1:50.4-mile time in the trial is close to that. Funathebeach N was bred and foaled in New Zealand but has raced in North America his whole career. He has run almost exclusively in the United States, but some of his Canadian starts have been in the Camluck Classic at Western Fair Raceway. He finished sixth in this year’s edition of the Camluck Classic but has won three of his eight starts since then. Scott Young will drive the nine-year-old gelding for trainer Jeffrey Gillis.

Covered Bridge (American Ideal) won the second trial and posted the fastest elimination time. He heads into the final as the morning line favourite at 5-2 and will lineup in the second tier in post position nine. The seven-year-old gelding will look to make it back-to-back Gold Cup & Saucer winners coming from post nine after Sintra won from there last year. Jordan Stratton makes the trip to be in the bike Saturday night for Jeffrey Gillis’ other entry.

The third and final trial winner, P L Ozzy (Sunshine Beach), gets the rail and will have Jody Jamieson in the bike. In June, he set a new lifetime mark of 1:48.3 at the Meadowlands and has been racing very well in his last nine starts. P L Ozzy has won seven of his previous nine starts and consistently put up times under 1:50. The five-year-old horse heads into the final with 4-1 morning line odds and will look to win for trainer Daniel Macdonald.

Race 14 (Friday): $30,000 JAMES “ROACH” MACGREGOR MEMORIAL

1. 1. 1. ROCKABILLY REBEL N 5-2
      2. YS MATHIS 12-1
      3. BATTER UP HANOVER 6-1
      4. BONUS ROUND 4-1
      5. NO PLAN INTENDED 15-1
      6. BETTIM AGAIN 10-1
      7. LIVINTHEBEACHLIFE 3-1
      8. BAYFIELD BEACH 8-1
      9. REPEAL OR REPLACE 7-2

The feature race on Friday evening at Charlottetown Driving Park is the James “Roach” Macgregor Memorial. A field of nine will line up to battle over the $30,000 purse in the Gold Cup & Saucer consolation. The morning line favourite, Rockabilly Rebel N (A Rocknroll Dance), draws the rail and aims to earn his third win of 2023. He finished fourth in the Gold Cup & Saucer trial behind Funathebeach N, Roll Em and Twin B TuffenNuff. Rockabilly Rebel N won his first two races since moving to North America but has yet to visit the winner’s circle.

The longshot, No Plan Intended (Up The Credit), at 15-1 odds, has four wins in 2023. His fastest win time this year is 1:53, which he did at Summerside Raceway. No Plan Intended has won 24-lifetime races and earned over $298,000. Jennifer Doyle trains the five-year-old gelding, and Jason Hughes is scheduled to be in the bike Friday night.

Race 12 (Saturday): BIRTHPLACE OF CONFEDERATION MARES SERIES FINAL

1. 1. 1. BETTER BE IN LOVE 12-1
      2. ELM GROVE MISTRESS 10-1
      3. DREAMFAIR ZENFIRE 5-2
      4. PLAIN JANE 4-1
      5. YOU AINT DOLLY 8-1
      6. CHELSKI 3-1
      7. SHARE THE MOMENT 7-2
      8. ACEFORTYFOUR DOME 6-1

The seven-year-old mare, Dreamfair Zenfire (Sunfire Blue Chip), earns the title of morning line favourite sitting at 5-2 odds. In eleven starts this year, she has only finished worse than second place once. Besides the one hiccup, she has four wins and six second-place finishes. Dreamfair Zenfire has 52 lifetime wins and is shy of $200,000 in career earnings. Marc Campbell trains and will be in the bike Saturday evening.

12-1 longshot, Better Be In Love (Bettors Delight) has two wins in twelve starts this year but has finished in the top three eight times. She always seems to be near the top at the end of the race. Adam Merner will be in the driver’s seat for trainer Brendon Mullen.

Race 8 (Saturday): $20,700 JOE O’BRIEN MEMORIAL (GOLD) 3-YEAR-OLD COLTS

1. 1. 1. PROUDOFYATODAY 7-2
      2. ELM GROVE RESTWIND 4-1
      3. MALIGNITY 5-2
      4. HOWMAC CHARMER 8-1
      5. BACONONABISCUIT 7-2
      6. WOODMERE DENNY 3-1

Malignity (Malicious) has been one of the hottest three-year-old pacers in the Maritimes this year. He has six wins in eight starts in 2023. He finished seventh place in the Donnie and George Turner Memorial at Truro Raceway, but other than that has been nearly perfect. Malignity has a lifetime mark of 1:53.1 at Truro Raceway and is on a five-race win streak.

Race 11 (Saturday): $20,700 JOE O’BRIEN MEMORIAL (GOLD) 3-YEAR-OLD COLTS

1. 1. 1. JJ LANDON 6-1
      2. STARSHIP GLYDE 3-1
      3. WOODMERE DEALER 5-2
      4. NO BOATS ON SUNDAY 7-2
      5. TOBINS PROFIT 8-1
      6. FISHERMANS SON 4-1

Jason Hughes will be in the driver’s seat for Woodmere Dealer (Rollwithitharry). The young gelding has five wins in 13 starts this year. He has a lifetime mark of 1:57.0 at Charlottetown Driving Park. Woodmere Dealer has not won since June 30 but will look for another one heading into the race at 5-2.

For complete Friday race entries, click here.

For complete Saturday afternoon race entries, click here.

For complete Saturday evening race entries, click here.

by Trey Colbeck, for Harnesslink