Woodmere Stealdeal remains unstoppable

SUMMERSIDE, PE – It may have been Woodmere Stealdeal’s narrowest winning margin but the fact remains that the two-year-old colt’s harness racing record is still unblemished after stakes action Sunday afternoon at Red Shores at the Summerside Raceway. 

Marc Campbell was at the lines of the Danny Romo trainee again this week as the son of Stealhead Hanover hustled off the gate in his $11,700 Joe O’Brien Memorial stake division for two-year-old pacing colts to take control of the fractions en route to a 1:56.4 victory for Nova Scotia owners Kevin Dorey of Middle Sackville and Robert Sumarah of Halifax. Dustylanegoliath (Driven by Gilles Barrieau) closed hard to finish at Woodmere Stealdeal’s saddle pad in second while Woodmere Alvin (Corey MacPherson) and Moneyorroses (Steven Shepherd) finished in a deadheat for third. 

It was win number of seven of Woodmere Stealdeal’s career from as many starts as he increased his bankroll to $32,463. 

Saltwater Savage prevailed in the other $11,700 O’Brien Gold division with a front-end score of 1:58 for the first part of Tom Weatherbie training double. Mark Bradley was in the driver’s seat for owners Kyle Gardiner and Mike Currie of Cardigan and Jerry MacKinnon of St. Peters Bay. Steel Reefer (Barrieau) was bested one-and-a-quarter lengths to finish second while Justcallmedoc (Jason Hughes) laid in the three-hole to finish third. 

Weatherbie’s other win was in a $9,000 Lady Slipper grassroots division for two-year-old pacing fillies as Western Wish won in 2:00.1 with Brodie MacPhee at the lines. 

The front end held up in the other Lady Slipper grassroots split with Red Dirt Magic delivering as the post time favourite in 2:01.1 for the combination of driver David Dowling and trainer Earl Watts. 

JJ Talisa drove up for an upset in her $13,000 Lady Slipper Gold division for filly pacers, kicking clear by three lengths in 1:58.2 with Dale Spence supplying the steer for owners Robert and Maria MacLeod of South West Margaree, N.S. Plain Jane (Campbell) cut out the fractions to finish second while Little Miss Ava (Myles Heffernan Sr.) completed the $305.90 triactor. 

Need To Know was first to the line in the second $13,000 Lady Slipper gold event for the first part of a Hughes training and driving double. The Warrawee Needy filly stopped the clock in 1:59.4 for owner Donald MacRae of Vernon Bridge. Post time favourite Tobins Brownie (Dowling) finished second with Elm Grove Penney (Spence) third. Hughes’ other win came in an O’Brien grassroots division for a $6,400 pot as Whistler surged for a 2:00.2 score. 

Betterthanbutter (Adam Merner) won his $6,400 Joe O’Brien grassroots division for rookie colts in 2:00.1 from the Ron Gass stable of Cornwall while Class Hero found the line first in his grassroots split in 1:59 for driver Barrieau and trainer Greg Weatherbee of Mount Stewart. 

In other action, Adventure Luck captured the Peter Coughlin memorial for driver Corey MacPherson and owner Robert Williams, Ellerslie, PE.

Total wager was $43,261. For race replays and more go to Redshores.ca.  

By Nicholas Oakes For Red Shores