Island Oceans Trot Challenge heats up

CHARLOTTETOWN, PE – The Island Oceans Trot Challenge, presented by Burkie By The Bay Stable, headlines Thursday evening’s harness racing card at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park with a pair of $6,500 divisions showcasing Atlantic Canada’s top diagonal performers.

The 16-dash card starts off at 6 P.M., while the first $6,500 Island Oceans Trot Challenge Division lines up in race 2.

Fresh off a win in her latest, Majian Salsa is back in Charlottetown for trainer-driver Jim Ripley and owner Marylea Ripley of Amherst, N.S. The 6-year-old daughter of Tad The Stud draws post 1 after her career best performance of 1:59.4 last week.

Helpfull Princess (To be Driven by Adam Merner) is the morning line favourite from post 3 for trainer Luke Burke. Also in the field are Oceanview Daisy (Myles Heffernan Sr.), Rocket Blast (Corey MacPherson) and Mile Hill Gus (Marc Campbell).

The second split in race race 9 has a grudge match resuming between the top two trotters on the Eastern Seaboard.

Buckhead Ridge (Marc Campbell) is pegged as the 5-2 morning line choice from post 3 in the $6,500 contest for trainer Landon Campbell and owner Brady Doyle of Stratford.. The five-year-old son of Nuncio has been an eight-time winner from 10 starts on P.E.I., this season. His only two loses came courtesy of two track record performance by Fight Song (Jason Hughes) from the Ashley Gamester barn for owner Donald MacRae of Vernon Bridge. Fight Song has post 6 on Thursday.

Other entries are Curadh (Ryan Desroche), Rippled And Ready (Brett Clow), Majian Tango (Jim Ripley), and Glider Man (David Dowling).

The evening’s 15th dash brings together a wide-open group of fillies and mares for a $4,350 purse in the pacing feature with Rosetown Mary (MacPherson) taking a slight drop in class off a fourth-place finish against the best mares on the East Coast in the Ruby Chappell Memorial Final. She starts from post 5 for trainer Corey MacPherson and gets top billing for owners Rosetown Stable and Taylor MacPherson.

Get Answers (Marc Campbell) leaves just to her outside from post 6 and comes off a solid 1:55.1 victory while the far outside has Sugar Bowl (Gilles Barrieau), who lands post 7 here for trainer Jeff Holmes. Ruby Chappell Memorial final winner Plain Jane (Paul Langille) gets post 4 in the field. The dash also contains Talldarklatte (Brodie MacPhee), Lady Devine (Dowling) and Windemere Saddy (Merner).

The Post Time Picks go with Rosetown Mary.

“Rosetown Mary was up against the best mares on the east coast and only two lengths away at the finish. Slightly better draw and with the way she can fire home, we think she seals the deal in Charlottetown.”

For complete race entries, click here.

by Nicholas Oakes, for Red Shores