CHARLOTTETOWN, PE – The Joe O'Brien Memorial harness racing stakes was all girl power all night as trainer Melissa Rennie won three divisions of the event Saturday evening at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park.
The Cornwall based Rennie stable captured both $11,000 Joe O'Brien Memorial Gold divisions for two-year-old pacing colts as well as a grassroots division.
Windemere Ryan (Driven by Adam Merner) delivered in his $11,000 O'Brien gold split in a 1:59.1 score owner Hugh Five Racing of Stanhope then the second division saw a one-two finish for Rennie as The Big Chase (Corey MacPherson) upset his favoured stablemate Mr Kelly (Merner) in 1:57.2.
The Big Chase is owned by JTL Risk Stable of Port Morien, N.S. Howmac Napoleon was the third Rennie winner in 2:00.2 in a $8,000 O'Brien grassroots division in line to Merner for owner JTL Risk Stable.
Egamer captured the other two-year-old grassroots division for trainer Garth Cole and driver Kenny Arsenault stopping the clock in 2:00.3.
The program also featured the Lady Slipper stake for two-year-old pacing fillies and Na Naa Said So controlled every step of her $13,000 Gold division en route to a 1:58.2 score for driver Redmond Doucet, trainer Robert MacLeod and owners Hugh and Ali MacEachern of Nova Scotia.
Woodmere Skyroller used identical tactics to win the other $13,000 filly Gold race with an open-length victory for driver MacPherson, trainer Kevin MacLean and owner Reg MacPherson of Stratford.
The $9,000 Lady Slipper grassroots divisions for two-year-old pacing fillies were claimed by Red Dirt Star (Gilles Barrieau) in 1:58.3 and Naxos (Arsenault) in 2:00.1.
Driver David Dowling made four trips to the winner's circle on the 13-dash card including a double for trainer Brittany Watts. Watts and Dowling delivered as the favourites in overnight action with Creepin in 1:56.2 and Woodmere Chella in 1:57.1 to give Watts five wins from just 12 career starts as a conditioner. Dowling also won with Silverhill Buddy in a new lifetime best of 1:56.2 for the horse's second straight win for trainer David Myers, and with Rockin Indy for trainer Troy Murray of Clyde River in 1:56.2.
For race replays and more go to www.Redshores.ca.
by Nicholas Oakes, for Red Shores