P.E.I. native Mark McKinnon back in the sulky

CHARLOTTETOWN, PE – Cindys Party Boy (American Ideal) will try to fire up a returning Islander’s Summer vacation in a hugely competitive Thursday evening (Jul. 28) finale at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park.

The 12-dash Thursday evening program gets underway at 6:30 P.M., with Cindys Party Boy garnering the catch driving duties of Charlottetown native Mark McKinnon.

A former catch driver on P.E.I., McKinnon has not driven in an East Coast race since 2015 when he left for Ontario where he served as assistant trainer to Casie Coleman then Carmen Auciello. Leaving from the post 4, Cindys Party Boy was collared off the lead his last start for trainer Marc Campbell and owner Charles Symes of Springill, N.S.

Campbell will drive the post 3 entry in the race, Raise You Twenty (Classic Card Shark) who is also a member of his Orwell stable. A seven-time winner in 2021, the five-year-old is making his 2022 debut in the dash.

Mission Three (Mach Three) makes his East Coast debut from post 5 with Ken Murphy dialed in to drive for new trainer Kyle Wilkie and owners Tyler and Shelly Wilkie of Stratford. The seven-year-old boasts 17 lifetime wins and $194,999 in earnings.

The Big Chase rides a pair of runner-up finishes into the $2,200 event for trainer-driver Corey MacPherson from post 8 while Phil Dorleans has post 2 at 7-2 morning line odds for trainer-driver Jason Hughes. Better Than Cash (Ambyr Campbell) has post 6 with Brookdale Ollie (Kenny Arsenault) leaving from post 7.

Peter MacPhee shows how wide-open the dash is in the Post Time Picks as he sides with the rail entry Gringo Star and driver Gilles Barrieau as the front-running Ralph Sweet trainee puts the hopples back on for Thursday.

“Take a peek at that start two back where Gringo Star just missed. Lands on the cones and Barrieau is back so they could go one better this time.”

Catch all the action live at the track or tune into the worldwide broadcast at Redshores.ca. Online wagering is available at HPIBet.com.

For complete race entries, click here.

by Nicholas Oakes, for Red Shores