By Nicholas Oakes For Red Shores
SUMMERSIDE, PE – The defending champion is back for more, but he’ll need to be at his gritty best to repeat in the Saturday Governor’s Plate final, presented by Summerside Chrysler Dodge, at Red Shores at the Summerside Raceway.
The 16-dash Saturday Super-Card will kick off at 4 P.M.
Twin B Tuffenuff won last year’s Governor’s Plate in dazzling off-the-pace fashion and returns for another crack at the crown Saturday night in Race 16 at Red Shores Summerside. The $50,000 showdown lines up eight of the East Coast’s toughest free-for-allers in the signature event of the Prince County season.
Gilles Barrieau is back in the bike behind Twin B Tuffenuff (Post 5) for trainer Ron Matheson and owner Pat Morris of Charlottetown. The 10-year-old son of Rock N Roll Heaven took his elimination in 1:53.1 off the front and will gun for a repeat victory from the same post he had in 2024.
But the back-to-back dream won’t come easy.
High Voltage Deo (Post 2) is the 5-2 morning line favourite and looms as the main threat for trainer Brendan Curran and owners Alby Curran and High Voltage Deo Group of Alberry Plains. The Sweet Lou five-year-old is a three-time winner this season including a gelding track record at Truro Raceway in the $7,500 Lindsay Construction Exhibition Cup Final. Corey MacPherson will drive.
Miki Shan N (Post 4) delivered the most electrifying elimination performance, roaring home in 1:51.4 for driver Marc Campbell, trainer Chris MacKay and owners Kap Singh Racing Stable, Stephen Klunowski, Earl Hill Jr., and Donald MacRae. Jason Hughes will pick up the catch drive in the Governor’s Plate Final.
Marc Campbell drives Roll Em (Post 1) from the Landon Campbell barn. The 1:51.1 Red Shores Summerside track record holder is owned by Savage Stable, Brent Campbell and Ryan MacLeod.
Bounty Hunter (Post 3) and veteran trainer-driver Kenny Arsenault were a bang-up second in their Governor’s Plate elimination for owners Kevin Harvey and Connor Keough. They are installed at 4-1 morning line odds.
Tony Too Tall (Post 6) is at 8-1 odds for driver Myles Heffernan Sr., trainer Trevor Hicken and owner Perry Burke of Quebec.
Blood Money (Post 7) will take owner-driver Mitchell Downey for the biggest ride of his career from the Ron Matheson barn after Barrieau drove him to a fourth place finish in his elimination.
Middleton Terror (Post 8) rounds out the field for trainer-driver David Dowling and owners Kingsley Walsh and Frank Balcom.
The Backstretch Beat is going with High Voltage Deo.
“High Voltage Deo has drawn the outside in every big race he can in Atlantic Canada and now gets a prime time spot on his way to become a Governor’s Plate Champion. Was in no-man’s land at the half in his elimination and nearly got completely taken out of the race in the third turn but he persevered. If he can get himself out of that jam, what do you think he can do leaving post 2 in the biggest race of his trainer’s career? If he can hold his position leaving and avoid any serious trip problems, we see Governor’s Plate glory in his future.”
The 16-dash card also features the $14,000 Ruby Chappell Memorial Open Mares final (Race 15) and $8,500 consolation (Race 12), the $15,000 Bob Dewar Memorial Governor’s Plate consolation (Race 10), the $7,500 Andrew Perry Memorial Trot (Race 8) and divisions of the Atlantic Sires Stakes for three-year-old pacing colts.
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