Top pacers to battle on Canada Day at Summerside

Summerside, PE – Former Governor’s Plate and Gold Cup & Saucer champion Time To Dance returns to the 2024 harness racing season with his first appearance Monday at Red Shores Summerside on a special Canada Day program. Post time is 1pm.

Time To Dance, who leaves from post 6, recorded 11 wins from 34 starts in 2023 and comes off his qualifier on June 15th at Charlottetown where the track was listed 3 seconds off due to rain. Marc Campbell will be in the driver’s seat for trainer Brent Campbell and his co-owners Brady Doyle, Kent MacDonald and Ryan MacLeod, PE. It will not be an easy task with morning line favorite Middleton Terror leaving from post 5.

David Dowling trains and drives Middleton Terror for owners Kingsley Walsh, Albany, PE and Frank Balcom, Amherst, N.S. The son of Stonebridge Terror has won three of his 8 assignments this season and was fourth in his last start charted in 1:54.4 with a closing panel of 27.4. Spectrum Seelster, who also has a shot to take top billing, will start from post 2 from the Jennifer Doyle stable with Damian MacLellan listed to drive. The field also includes Coasttocoastshark (Jaycob Sweet), Sauble Attack (Ken Murphy) and Melody Maker (Corey MacPherson). The starter will call the field to the gate at 4:18pm.

Howmac Charmer (Campbell) is listed at 5-2 odds from post position two in the Canada Day Pace in race 7 for trainer Kyle Williams and owner Doug Williams, Guelph, Ontario. Sharky (pp3) and Ideal Jet (pp4) could knock off the favorite, but the Backstretch Beat has Howmac Charmer to win it all.  “He was defeated by a monstrous Freemans Legacy last week but even in defeat he still paced in 1:56 and change. Lots to like.”

The Summerside Legion, Branch #5, will be attendance on the special Canada Day program and will present the cooler to the winner in race nine. Her Honour, Antoinette Perry, Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island will also visit the historic Prince County oval. Elroy Shiner is the favorite for driver Brady Sweet, trainer Jeff Holmes and owner Frank Sweet, Knutsford.

Red Shores Summerside will also feature the Isle Pick5 with $2000 guaranteed pool in race 1, a Super Hi5 carry-over of $656.17 race 5 and a late Pick 4 carry-over of $1,828.29 beginning in race 10.

Play at the track or from home through HPIBET.COM. For the Race Day broadcast, race programs and more go to the new Player Portal here.

The Prince County Horsemen’s Club board of directors and their members will hold a moment of silence following the post parade of race 2 in honor of Kent Oakes, a member of their harness racing community and Industry leader.

by Lee Drake, for Red Shores