Red Shores weekend preview

A pair of horses that fell victim to their trips in the Gold Cup and Saucer will make their first starts back in action in the Saturday evening harness racing feature at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park.

The capital oval has a 13-dash program slated for a 6 P.M. start on Saturday with the $3,400 preferred pace in race 12.

Time To Dance is the morning line favourite from post 2 with Marc Campbell driving the Truro Raceway track record holder from his own stable for owners Matt McDonald of Ontario and Brent Campbell of Charlottetown. The 25-time winner was saddled with post 8 in last month’s Gold Cup and Saucer final and never got into the race, finishing seventh, after winning his $12,500 trial in 1:52.3 the week previous.

Rock Lights is another entry that had his share of bad luck in the Gold Cup and Saucer, with the Chris MacKay trained pacer locked in for the duration of the prestigious event, closing in 26.4 with nowhere to go and finishing sixth. Jason Hughes is back in the bike from post 5 on Saturday for owners Donald MacRae of Vernon Bridge and D Racing Stable of New York.

Peter MacPhee likes Time To Dance to return to the winner’s circle in the Post Time Picks. “Time To Dance had a tough trip in the Gold Cup and Saucer but don’t forget he won his trial in 1:52.3. We’re wagering Marc will have him on the front foot tonight and if they do clear to the front it could be lights out.”

Also in the field are The Rev (To be driven by Gilles Barrieau), Screen Test (Corey MacPherson), Outkast Blue Chip (Brodie MacPhee), Hitman Hill (Kenny Arsenault) and Cowboy Logic (Steven Shepherd).

Race 5 is a leg of Island Oceans Trot Classic, presented by JD Marine and Diving Inc., featuring a five-horse field of aged trot mares. Daisy River (Hughes) has rail control in the $4,800 event while track record holder Cheeky Little Minx (Barrieau) will leave from post 3.

The Cyril and Marge Smith Family Memorial lines up in race 3 with Regally Magnified (Adam Merner) the top choice.

A mega-stakes Monday will be the highlight of Labour Day racing action at Red Shores at the Summerside Raceway with 13-dashes on tap starting at 1 P.M.

The biggest jackpot of the all-stakes card will be the race 13 Joe O’Brien Memorial two-year-old pacing colt Gold division for a $23,670 purse.

St Charlesfireball is the top choice saddled with post 7 for trainer-driver Marc Campbell and owners Ryan and Everett MacLeod of Souris. The son of Tobago Cays sports a record of two wins and two seconds from five lifetime starts with $19,234 to his credit. Stash It Away will be a main opponent from post 5 with Corey MacPherson aboard for trainer Kevin Maclean. Woodmere Androlli (To be driven by Gilles Barrieau) is another top entry from post 4 in just the second stakes event of the colt’s fledgling career.

The Backstretch Beat places Stash It Away on top for Monday’s bout. “All of these colts are exceptionally talented but Fern Hill General has hogged the spotlight all season. With that main foe ineligible for this stake it opens up a world of possibilities today and leaves the road open for the biggest score of Stash It Away’s young career. He is better chasing down horses and we think he has what it takes to gobble up every inch of racetrack thrown at him. Top call.”

The card also has $10,125 O’Brien Grassroots divisions for rookie colts in races 3, 6 and 8.

The day also featured the O’Brien stake for three-year-old pacing colts with Gold divisions in races 10 and 12.

Woodmere Stealdeal (Campbell) headlines the action in race 12 for a $18,750 purse as he battles with Dustylanegoliath (Barrieau) and Elliot Moose (Jason Hughes).

The other $18,750 sophomore Gold split has Justcallmedoc (David Dowling) selected with rail control in race 10.

The $9,100 O’Brien grassroots divisions for three-year-old pacing colts line up in races 2 and 5.

The Lady Slipper stake for two-year-old pacing fillies is also part of the Labour Day card.

Newly minted Inverness track record holder JJ Scarlett leads the way in the race 4 Lady Slipper Gold division with Danny Gillis at the lines for trainer Walter Walker with $17,550 at stake.

The $17,550 Gold division in race 7 will see Therealprincess (MacPherson) trying to deliver as the favourite from post 2.

$8,500 Lady Slipper grassroots divisions hit the track in races 1, 9 and 11.

Catch all the action live at the track or tune into the worldwide broadcast at Redshores.ca. Live streaming is also available on the Red Shores YouTube page and you can wager online at HPIBet.com.

by Nicholas Oakes, for Red Shores