By Nicholas Oakes For Red Shores
SUMMERSIDE, PE – The Sunday afternoon program at Red Shores Summerside Raceway belonged to the three-year-old pacers of the Lady Slipper Stakes and Joe O’Brien Memorial, but it was a seasoned mare who posted the fastest mile of the day.
The Standardbred Canada Atlantic Aged Pacing Mares Series took top billing late on the card, and Get Answers ($12.70) had the right reply in the $6,000 division. Driver Marc Campbell moved the five-year-old daughter of Lazarus N to the lead past the half and opened daylight through the stretch to stop the timer in 1:53.1 to tie the overall pacing mares record co-held by Share The Moment and Woodmere Skyroller. Landon Campbell trains the winning mare for owners Brady Doyle, Ryan MacLeod, and Everett MacLeod. Sugar Bowl (Driven by Gilles Barrieau) was a game second while Miss Dutton (Paul Langille) finished third.
The $25,250 Lady Slipper Gold divisions for three-year-old pacing fillies produced three impressive winners.
Badgirl Bridgette ($2.40) captured the first split in race 5, converting an early move into a measured 1:57.2 victory for driver Jason Hughes and owner-trainer Bill Lanigan of Montague. Tobins Dream (Barrieau) finished second while Woodmere Betcha (Adam Merner) was third.
In race 8, Lady Hess ($3.80) unleashed a ferocious closing kick to collar Steady Heart (Marc Campbell) and win by a head in 1:55.4 for driver Corey MacPherson, owner Groupof7 Stable and trainer Jamie Smith. Talldarklatte rallied for third.
The final $25,250 Gold division went in race 10 where Elm Grove Talia ($2.80) added to her sparkling campaign, stalking the pace and sprinting clear in 1:56.3 for trainer-driver David Dowling and owners Kingsley and Donald Walsh, Frank Balcom, and Shane Baglole. Starship Laska (Marc Campbell) was the runner-up with Watch Me Shake It (Kenny Arsenault) third.
The $12,625 Grassroots divisions of the Lady Slipper went to Southwind Ricochet ($2.70) with a front-end masterpiece in 1:58 for driver Marc Campbell and trainer Earl Watts, then Shadow Princess ($2.50) dominated her Grassroots field on the front end in 1:58.3 for trainer-driver Paul Langille.
The Island’s top colts delivered high-speed heroics in the twin $32,800 Gold divisions of the Joe O’Brien Memorial.
Race 6 saw One Wicked Man ($2.70) prove untouchable on the front, rating fractions of 28.1, 58.1 and 1:27.4 and sprinting home in 1:56 for trainer-driver Kenny Arsenault and owner James Perrot. Evil Lou (Barrieau) and Rosetown Eclipse (Corey MacPherson) followed to populate the triactor.
Malevolent ($2.50) continued his dominance in the other Gold split in race 9, cruising gate-to-wire in 1:54.2 for trainer-driver Langille and owners Debbie Francis and Rosanne Langille of Nova Scotia. Dusty Lane Levi (Jason Hughes) and Phil My Beer (Marc Campbell) completed the top three.
The lone $16,400 Grassroots split in race 3 went to Redeyetoshanghai ($3.20), who stalked from third and surged through the lane in 1:56.1 for trainer Wade Myers and driver Marc Campbell.
Live racing continues Monday evening at 6 P.M., at Red Shores Summerside.
