Monctonian Pace highlights pre-Gold Cup and Saucer card

CHARLOTTETOWN, PE – The Monctonian Pace will headline the Saturday afternoon (Aug. 20) harness racing program on Gold Cup and Saucer Saturday at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park as the final day of Old Home Week.

There are 11-dashes at stake with a 1 P.M. start time while the Monctonian Pace lines up in the afternoon finale.

Dr. Mitchell Downey drives his own Blood Money (Sweet Lou) in the $3,300 Monctonian Pace from post 3 for trainer Ellen Stevenson. The New Brunswick pacer stood stud on P.E.I. the first part of 2022 and now has returned to his Saint John base. He makes the trek to Old Home Week to try his luck and hit the winner’s circle in the celebrated pace.

His main rival will be post 2 starter Hardy Mill Joe (Sportswriter) from the Anthony Stymest barn. Hard Mill Stable of Beaver Bank co-owns the four-year-old with Ken Hardie of Bedford, N.S. Mike McGuigan drove the pacer to a 1:56.1 victory earlier in the week and will again sit in the race bike on Saturday. First Glance (Thinking Out Loud) was an impressive front-end winner from the outside of the starting gate Monday evening for driver Brodie MacPhee and trainer Wade Myers and has post 6 this time. The Lenny Myers stable has been hot lately and Poplar Artie (Mach Three) has post 7 with Marc Campbell in the bike after the driver steered the horse’s stablemate Acrobat Hanover to a 1:54.3 victory Thursday evening in the Joey and Dee Arsenault Memorial.

The Post Time Picks put Blood Money firmly on top.

“Blood Money was put on the engine and led for part of it before settling for a third-place finish. Takes a dip and it will be green light go so expect him to be on or near the lead at the start and finish.”

Also in the field are Better Than Cash (by Betterthancheddar, To be driven by Ambyr Campbell), Ironside Seelster (Thinking Out Loud, Corey MacPherson), Windsong Quincy (Sportswriter, Jason Hughes) and The Yingyang (Thinking Out Loud, Ken Murphy).

Race 10 is the Chris MacPherson Memorial in honour of a beloved former Special Olympian and race fan. Downey will drive the favoured Father Ofthe Year (Royal Mattjesty) from post 6 in that dash.

The card also featured Grassroots divisions of the Joe O’Brien stake for three-year-old pacing colts along with the Don MacLeod Memorial, the Donnie and Nan Simmons Memorial, the George Wilkie Memorial, the Tom and Margaret Claybourne Trot Memorial, the Levin Leblanc Memorial, the Wilma MacLure Memorial and the Justin Simmons and Charlene Betts Memorial.

For race programs, live video and more go to Redshores.ca and wager online at HPIBet.com.

For complete race entries, click here.

by Nicholas Oakes, for Red Shores