By Nicholas Oakes For Red Shores
CHARLOTTETOWN, PE – Track records fell and the Merner barn was perfect as the Thursday evening program lit up Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park.
The 12-dash presentation was headlined by the $3,500 pacing feature in race 12, but the biggest fireworks came one race earlier when Fight Song reset the overall trotting standard in a breathtaking performance.
Fight Song ($6.30) and driver Jason Hughes were serious in the $4,000 Open Trot heading to the lead and fronting the field through splits of 29 and 57.4. The half-mile marker was when the streaking Buckhead Ridge (Driven by Gilles Barrieau) moved from fifth and began his assault first-over to challenge at three-quarters of 1:27.2. Fight Song continued to lead with Buckhead Ridge ducking in the two-hole and never getting past the front-runner’s wheel in the stretch to have his win streak snapped at seven with Ripped And Ready (Brett Clow) back in third.
Fight Song hit the wire on top by two-and-three-quarter lengths in 1:55.3 to break Cheeky Little Minx’s overall track trotting record of 1:55.4. Ashley Gamester trains the son of Kadabra for owner Donald MacRae. Owner MacRae and driver Hughes also have a claim to the overall track pacing record, as Bee Two Bee co-owns the record of 1:50.1
Badgirl Bridgette ($2.40) took the $3,500 pacing feature in race 12 in line to Hughes with a sweep from the back to deny JM Sportsfan (Steven Shepherd) and Lady Devine (Ken Murphy) in 1:54.4. The win was a new lifetime record for the daughter of Stonebridge Terror, who is owned and trained by Bill Lanigan of Montague.
It was a perfect three-for-three night for the Adam Merner stable, who swept all of their entries, with all the fillies taking new personal best times. Woodmere Honeymoon ($2.20) won race 5 in 1:55.3, Lady Llamrei ($3.40) was a 1:54.2 winner in race 7 and Mia ($11.10) was the best in race 13 with a 1:56.3 performance. Merner also had catch driving wins with Miss Maddie P ($8.10) for trainer Todd Walsh in 1:56.4 and Listen Linda Lou ($3.00) from the Carson Wilkie barn in 1:58.3 for a five-win night in the race bike.
The Energy & Mines Ministers’ Conference Pace in race 10 had Lorne Valley Barb ($6.90) get a slick steer from trainer-driver Myles Heffernan Jr., to a 1:57.3 victory for owner Barry MacLeod of Cardigan.
Corey MacPherson recorded a driving triple on the card.
Live racing continues Saturday afternoon at 4 P.M., at Red Shores Charlottetown.
Replays and more are available at Redshores.ca.
