Almost time for Gold Cup & Saucer 64

CHARLOTTETOWN, PE – The greatest half-mile track race in Canada will line up as harness racing history looks to be made in Gold Cup and Saucer 64 Saturday evening (Aug. 19) at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park.

The day will feature a doubleheader of programs with a 13-dash card in the afternoon starting at 1 P.M. then an evening card getting underway at 7 P.M. with 14-races. The $100,000 Gold Cup and Saucer final, presented by The Atlantic Lottery, is the final race of the evening. Every horse in the Gold Cup and Saucer final sports a lifetime record better than 1:50.

PL Ozzy will be guided off the rail in the $100,000 finale to Old Home Week 2023 by veteran driver Jody Jamieson, who has yet to win the East Coast Classic despite a number of attempts to capture the race. The 1:51.4 Trial 3 winner is trained by Danny MacDonald for Island owners Jody Sanderson, Darren Smith, Michael McKenna and Shaun MacIsaac.

Lawless Shadow has post 2 for the combo of driver Tyler Moore and trainer Dr. Ian Moore, a duo that won this race in 2012 with Eighteen. The elder Moore co-owns the winner of $964,000 with RG McGroup Ltd., Serge Savard and Frank Cannon.

Woodbine free-for-aller American History made his Island debut last week with a gritty trip finishing second in his trial for driver Dale Spence, trainer MacKenzie Spence and owner Patrick Hill. The $1.6 million winner will leave from post 3.

Twin B Tuffenuff leaves from post 4 and carries the hopes of Island owner Pat Morris of Charlottetown, trainer Ron Matheson and driver Gilles Barrieau, who has won the race four times before (1997, 2000, 2002 and 2017).

Funatthebeach N is the first part of the favoured Jeff Gillis trainees in the race. The Cape Breton native handling the conditioning duties for owner Mark Ford while Scott Young gets the call to drive from post 5 after winning Trial 1 in 1:50.4.

Trainer-driver Jason Hughes looks for his first Gold Cup and Saucer victory with Bee Two Bee from post 6 for owners Donald MacRae of Vernon Bridge, P.E.I., and Blair MacLauchlan of Charlottetown.

Governor’s Plate champion and Red Shores Summerside track record holder Roll Em leaves from post 7 in line to trainer Marc Campbell for local owners Brady Doyle, Brent Campbell, Ryan MacLeod and Savage Stable. Campbell drove Gold Cup and Saucer winners Escape The News (2013) and Take It Back Terry (2015) along with Time To Dance (2020), who he also trained.

Major Hill has Brett MacDonald with the outside post 8 for owner Francois Morin and trainer Colin Johnson who trained former Gold Cup and Saucer winners Canaco Simon (2000) and London Mews N (2002). Major Hill sports 41 lifetime wins and over $650,000 in prize money.

The morning line favourite is Covered Bridge from the trailing post 9 as the second entry for trainer Gillis and owner Ford. Jordan Stratton ships in from New York to drive the pacer as he sits at $375,000 in seasonal earnings and is on the verge of going over $1 million in career earnings Saturday night.

The $10,000 ‘Smash The Track Record Bonus’ will be in play in the $100,000 final Sponsored by Summerside Chrysler Dodge, if the 1:50.1 track record, co-held by YS Lotus and Sintra, is broken in Saturday evening’s Gold Cup and Saucer final the winner will receive a $5,000 bonus while the remaining $5,000 will be spread amongst the rest of the field.

Undercard

The world class harness racing program hosts a powerful undercard of races.

The prestigious The Papermaker Pace lines up in race 6 with Rose Run Quest (To be driven by Adam Merner) the top choice from post 5.

First Glance (David Dowling) is the favourite in the Mayor’s Pace in race 7.

Race 9 is the Colonel Dan Trot for $7,500 as part of the Island Trot Challenge, sponsored by Fox Group. New Legacy (Merner) is the top choice from post 6.

The program features a pair of $20,700 Joe O’Brien Memorial Gold division for three-year-old pacing colts in races 8 and 11.

The $7,500 Premier’s Pace in race 12 has post 2 entry Saulsbrook Ian (Corey MacPherson) in a showdown with post 6 starter Stash It Away (Barrieau).

Dreamfair Zenfire (Campbell) is selected to win the race 13 Birthplace Of Confederation Series Final, in honour of Don & Ian Smith, presented by the City Of Charlottetown for a $12,500 purse.

Afternoon

The afternoon program is the first part of the doubleheader Saturday starting at 1 P.M. with 13 dashes in play.

Race 13 is The Monctonian Pace, Guy Gaudet Memorial, for a $4,000 purse. Revenant is the top choice with post 4 for driver Corey MacPherson, trainer Melissa Rennie and owners Kyla MacDonald, Tyler Lynk and Colby Lynk. The nine-year-old son of If I Can Dream is a four-time winner this season including a lifetime best performance of 1:53.4 two starts back in Charlottetown.

Stablemate Kataparka (Merner) leaves from post 8 fresh off a 1:55 victory in his latest. Chikaboom rides a two-race win streak into post 5 for trainer-driver Campbell.

The afternoon also has $10,350 Joe O’Brien Memorial grassroots division for three-year-old pacing colts in races 2 and 10.

The P.E.I. Colt Stakes Graduate Series for four and five-year-old horse and geldings pacers lines up in races 7 and 9.

The P.E.I. Colt Stakes Graduate Series for four and five-year-old pacing mares has a lone $4,200 division in race 5.

Strap in for an incredible live viewing experience at the track or join us online at Redshores.ca using the Player’s Portal with free race programs, HPIBet and more.

by Nicholas Oakes, for Red Shores