By Nicholas Oakes For Red Shores
CHARLOTTETOWN, PE – East Coast perfection continued for Miki Shan N with a track record tying performance in Gold Cup and Saucer Trial action while Its Major Major A won his Trial Saturday at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park.
Trial 1 in race 13 saw Its Major Major A ($2.10) live up to his heavy billing with a decisive 1:50.3 score for driver James MacDonald and trainer Rene Bourassa. Rail sitter Malignity (Driven by Paul Langille) stacked up the favourites through the first turn in the $15,000 Trial before releasing Virgo (Billy Davis Jr.) to the lead at the quarter of 27 seconds flat. Its Major Major A (James MacDonald) was cruising on the outside then accelerated to the front to overtake Virgo before the second turn. The Bourrassa trainee then strolled through splits of 55, 1:23 and 1:50.3 to win by five-lengths over Virgo, Legion Seelster (Jody Jamieson) and Bee Two Bee (Jason Hughes), who all advance to next Saturday’s $100,000 Gold Cup and Saucer Final, presented by Atlantic Lottery. The winning pacer is owned by Daniel Gaudreault of Mont-Joli, Que., and Dr. John Bradbury of Cookshire-Eaton, Que.
Trial 2 in the finale went to New Zealand-bred Miki Shan N ($4.00) in a track record tying 1:50.1 mile for trainer Chris MacKay and owners Kap Singh Racing Stable, Stephen Klunowski, Earl Hill Jr., and Donald MacRae with driver Corey MacPherson recording his first ever Gold Cup and Saucer Trial victory. Poseidon Seelster (MacDonald) went to the lead after an early 26.2 tussle at the quarter then tripped fractions of 54.1 and 1:23 before Miki Shan N came with authority to take over in the final furlongs and win by three-lengths for his sixth straight win. Poseidon Seelster was second with Arbitrage Hanover (Davis) third and Fortify (Marc Campbell) fourth to earn their spots in the final. The 1:50.1 mile now ties Miki Shan N with Sintra, YS Lotus and Bee Two Bee as the fastest horses ever on the Eastern Seaboard.
The $7,500 Birthplace of Confederation Mares Series eliminations, in honor of Harris Johnston, also took centre stage with Avyanna ($2.10) taking race 12 in 1:52.3 for trainer Bo Ford, driver Gilles Barrieau, and co-owners Hailee Currie and Carol Campbell. Windemere Saddy ($7.50) pulled off a mild upset in race 15 for trainer Saul Lanigan and driver Jody Jamieson scoring in 1:54.3.
It was track record time on the trot side as Buckhead Ridge ($2.40) rewrote the overall track trotting record with a 1:55.2 win for driver Marc Campbell and trainer Landon Campbell for owner Brady Doyle of Stratford in the $7,500 Old Home Week Invitational Trot. The previous record was held by Fight Song in 1:55.3 from July.
The Atlantic Sires Stakes for three-year-old pacing fillies were showcased in five divisions on the program. In $17,100 A-division action, Badgirl Bridgette ($2.10) won her sixth straight with a 1:54.2 win for trainer Bill Lanigan and driver Jason Hughes, while Tobins Dream ($13.70) sprung the surprise in her A-split for trainer Kevin MacLean and driver Barrieau. The $6,000 B-divisions went to Mindbodyandsoul ($7.60) in 1:55.1 and Thelastartie ($4.50) in 1:57.2 with Marc Campbell driving both for trainer Earl Watts while the other division went to Mia ($3.40) for trainer-driver Adam Merner in 1:57.3.
Race 1 was the Bill & Ruth Gurney Memorial with Freight Air ($3.20) stopping the clock in 1:55.3 for driver Jamieson and trainer Neil Bambrick.
Impeccable Shadow ($7.10) won the Race 3 Tops To Floors Pace in 1:53 for trainer-driver Langille while Rockemsockem Scott ($5.70) took the the Allan ‘Kitten’ Livingston and Ian ‘Cat’ Smith Memorial in race 5 for driver Barrieau and trainer Ron Matheson.
The Race 9 Mayor’s Pace was a 1:53.4 victory for Nothing Bugs Me ($3.00) with Barrieau driving for conditioner Vaughan Doyle.
Avatar J ($5.50) captured the race 11 Claddagh Oyster House & Old Dublin Pub Pace in 1:52.3 for driver Jason Hughes and trainer Darren Smith.
One Wicked Man ($3.10) scored in the race 13 Burgoyne – Taylor Memorial Pace with a 1:53.4 win for trainer-driver Kenny Arsenault.
The wager on the program was $247, 911.54.
Old Home Week racing continues Monday evening at 6 P.M., at the capital oval, with programs every day culminating with the $100,000 Gold Cup and Saucer final next Saturday evening. Full race programs, picks, and the Race Day broadcast are available at Redshores.ca.
