By Nicholas Oakes For Red Shores
CHARLOTTETOWN, PE – Bettor Than Spring will try to keep his Island record spotless in the Isabel MacPhee Memorial Preferred 1 Pace on Harness The Hope night at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park.
The $5,500 feature lines up in race 14 of the 15-dash Saturday evening program, which kicks off at 4 P.M. as part of a special card celebrating breast cancer awareness and fundraising.
Harness The Hope was founded in 2005 following the Dustin family’s first (of three) personal experiences with a breast cancer diagnosis, treatments and survival. Harness the Hope is a fundraising initiative that organizes events and initiatives to benefit causes that enable breast cancer research, awareness and support services for cancer warriors and survivors. All event proceeds are directly donated to various cancer organizations that provides direct support programs for young women faced with a cancer diagnosis and that provide much needed awareness, research, earlier detection and improved treatments for those directly affected by or who may face breast cancer in their lifetime.
The Saturday evening Isabel MacPhee Memorial has a field of six pacers headlined by Bettor Than Spring, who landed in the Trevor Hicken barn last week and saw Myles Heffernan Sr., steer him to a statement with a sharp front-end 1:53.3 victory in his P.E.I. debut. The son of Bettors Delight was previously racing at Yonkers Raceway in New York with the eight-year-old pacer now owned by Perry Burke of Grosse-Ile, Que.
All Bets On Tex is the 5-2 morning line choice from post 3 with Adam Merner at the controls from his own stable. The veteran pacer was second in the $15,000 Bob Dewar Memorial Governor’s Plate Consolation last week for owners Marc Gallant, Blair MacLauchlan and Kent Livingston.
House Edge Hanover starts from post 1 for driver Gilles Barrieau and trainer Ron Matheson after finishing third to Bettor Than Spring last week. Everette Hanson of Maugerville, N.B., holds the ownership papers on the pacer.
Avatar J (To be driven by Jason Hughes) gets post 4 for trainer Darren Smith of Rocky Point, who co-owns with Jody Sanderson of Cornwall. The 11-year-old has not been worse than second in five tries this season.
Roll Em (Marc Campbell) is fresh off a fifth-place finish in the $50,000 Governor’s Plate Final for trainer Landon Campbell and owners Brent Campbell, Ryan MacLeod and Savage Stable.
The field is completed by Rose Run X Con (Norris Rogers) for trainer Nicholas Oakes and owner JD Racing Inc., of Cornwall. The six-year-old son of McArdle was a winner in three of his last four races.
The Post Time Picks go with Bettor Than Spring.
“Bettor Than Spring was a sharp front-end winner in his PEI debut in 1:53.3 last week. Before arriving in PEI, he raced against Binge On Yankee who we saw compete in Gold Cup and Saucer and just last week, was a winner in the Gerrity Memorial at Saratoga, so this horse is the real deal. He should call the shots from start to finish again tonight.”
For race programs, picks and the Race Day broadcast, go to Redshores.ca. Wager online at HPIBET.COM.
