Stakes Sunday hits Summerside Raceway

SUMMERSIDE, PE – Downtown Tonight will try to get the party started on an all-stakes Sunday afternoon harness racing program at Red Shores at the Summerside Raceway.

The program will kick off at 1 P.M., with 15-dashes scheduled during the special Sunday card.

Race 1 of the afternoon is a $20,200 Lady Slipper Gold division for three-year-old pacing fillies with Downtown Tonight the top selection with post 5 for driver Adam Merner, trainer Tom Weatherbie and owners Cam and Gordon MacPhee. The Shanghai Phil lass will seek her fourth straight victory.

Miss Dutton, the newly minted track record holder at Connell Park in Woodstock, N.B., is the favourite in her $20,200 Lady Slipper Gold division in race 8 for driver Merner, trainer Kuri White and owner Shoulda Been Onabeach Stb of Charlottetown.

Fern Hill Indigo was second to Miss Dutton in that track record performance and draws clear this week with post 5 in the final $20,200 Lady Slipper Gold division for three-year-old pacing fillies in race 11. Brodie MacPhee drives the Tom Weatherbie trained daughter of Malicious for owner Next Generation Stable of Stratford.

The $10,100 Lady Slipper Grassroots divisions for two-year-old pacing fillies hit the track in races 6, 9 and 13.

Tobins Chester will try to go over $100,000 in seasonal earnings in his $24,300 Joe O’Brien Memorial Gold division in race 4 for driver Jason Hughes, trainer Ashley Gamester and owner Donald MacRae of Vernon Bridge. The Shanghai Phil colt has rail control in the field of six.

Merigo Magic (Merner) and Jackies Boy (Myles Heffernan Sr.) will tangle in the $24,300 O’Brien Gold division in the race 15 finale. Both colts are sired by Tobago Cays.

The Grassroots divisions of the Joe O’Brien Memorial for sophomore pacing colts line up in races 3 and 12 for $12,150 purses.

Race 2 is a $17,300 Lady Slipper trot division for three-year-old fillies. Dusty Lane Wee (Marc Campbell) gets the top call from post 3 from the Lenny Myers barn.

Gettin Lit (Mike McGuigan) will headline the Lady Slipper stake for three-year-old trotting colts in race 7 for $17,300.

The Lady Slipper two-year-old trotting filly division carries a $18,150 purse with Atlantic record holder Oceanview Rumours the top entry with post 5 for trainer-driver Adam Merner as she seeks her sixth straight win.

West River Jet has seven foes in his $18,150 Lady Slipper two-year-old trotting colt dash in race 10 for driver Ken MacDonald and trainer Clare MacDonald.

Race 14 is another leg of the Atlantic Aged Pacing Mares Series, presented by Standardbred Canada, with a field of seven vying for the $5,150 purse.

For complete race results, click here.

by Nicholas Oakes, for Red Shores