By Nicholas Oakes For Red Shores
CHARLOTTETOWN, PE – The stage is set for one of the most electric nights in Canadian harness racing as the $100,000 66th Gold Cup & Saucer, presented by Atlantic Lottery, goes postward Saturday at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park.
The 15-dash Old Home Week finale has the Gold Cup & Saucer carded as the race 15 finale with the starting gate rolling at 6 P.M. to start the card. An afternoon program also kicks off at 12 P.M., at the historic Prince Edward Island oval featuring 10-dashes.
The $100,000 East Coast Classic will have local driver Corey MacPherson looking for his first Gold Cup and Saucer title with morning line favourite Miki Shan N from post 3 from the Chris MacKay barn. The son of Always B Miki has been undefeated since relocating to P.E.I., and was a winner in Trial 2 in a track record tying 1:50.1.
Arbitrage Hanover will start from post 1 for driver Billy Davis Jr., and trainer Anthony Stymest. The winner of $455,597 was a New Jersey Sires Stakes champion as a sophomore and finished third in Trial 2.
Fresh off a gritty fourth-place finish in Trial 2, Fortify has post 2 for trainer Rene Bourassa with Gilles Barrieau picking up the drive as the New Brunswick native seeks his fifth Gold Cup and Saucer victory after previously winning the race in 1997, 2000, 2002 and 2017.
Australian import Its Major Major A landed a sparkling 1:50.3 victory in Trial 1 after laying parked at the start before moving forward to control the race. Marc Campbell gets the assignment for trainer Rene Bourassa as they look to deliver the driver’s fourth career Gold Cup & Saucer title after wins in 2013, 2015 and 2020. Campbell and Barrieau are the only drivers in the field that have previously won this race.
Track record co-holder Bee Two Bee has shown a wicked late brush in his career and used it again in Trial 1, closing to finish fourth and earn his berth in the rich final. Jason Hughes drives the Sunshine Beach stallion for trainer Ashley Gamester from post 5.
Virgo was a solid runner-up in Trial 1, for trainer Darren Taneyhill and will get Brett Beckwith in the race bike for the final from post 6. Beckwith currently sits fourth in North America with 401 driving wins in 2025 and will make his first appearance at Red Shores Charlottetown on Saturday.
Multiple Ontario winner and previous Gold Cup and Saucer finalist Legion Seelster will start from post 7 from the Victor Puddy barn.
Completing the field is post 8 starter Poseidon Seelster with Bob McClure in the bike for trainer Don Lindsey. The Sunshine Beach gelding cut out the mile in Trial 2 and finished second to Miki Shan N.
The undercard for the $100,000 Gold Cup & Saucer is loaded with major stakes action setting the stage for one of the richest and most prestigious nights in Maritime harness racing.
Race 10 is a Gold division of the Joe O’Brien Memorial as the Clifford Affleck Memorial for a purse of $28,200 for three-year-old pacing colts.
Phil My Beer (To be driven by Marc Campbell) is favoured over One Wicked Man (Kenny Arsenault) and Rosetown Eclipse (MacPherson).
The other $28,200 Gold split in race 13 has Malevolent (Paul Langille) the top choice over Evil Lou (Mike McGuigan) and Bentley (Marc Campbell).
Race 14 is the Birthplace Of Confederation Series Final, in Honour of Harris Johnston, for a Purse of $17,500. The eight-horse final for aged pacing mares has Avyanna (Barrieau) the top choice with a three-race win streak on the line for trainer Bo Ford. The daughter of Roll With Joe leaves from post 3.
The $9,000 Premier’s Pace is another top event in race 12 with Avatar J (Hughes) favoured with post 5.
Race 1 is the Miriam Simmons Memorial, The Kiwanis George Kays Memorial is in race 2, with the Chris MacPherson Memorial in race 3.
Race 4 is an Old Home Week staple in The Papermaker Pace, honouring the 1988 winner of the Gold Cup and Saucer.
Race 5 is the Birthplace Of Confederation Series consolation, while race 6 is the $7,500 Colonel Dan Trot featuring another showdown between Fight Song (Hughes), Rocket Blast (MacPherson) and Buckhead Ridge (Marc Campbell).
The David MacPhail Memorial lines up in race 7, along with the Mayor’s Pace in race 8, My Biggest Fan Foundation Pace is in race 9 and the Minister Of Finance Pace lines up in race 11.
AFTERNOON CARD – 12 P.M. START
The Saturday afternoon card starts at 12 P.M., at Red Shores Charlottetown featuring $14,100 Joe O’Brien Memorial Grassroots divisions for three-year-old pacing colts in races 5 and 10.
Also on the card is the Guy Gaudet Memorial in race 1, the Affleck Family Memorial in race 2, Tom & Margaret Claybourne Memorial in race 3, the Parker Realty Ltd., pace in race 4 and the Donnie & Nan Simmonds Memorial in race 6.
Race 7 of the afternoon program is the Charlie Blasidell Memorial, race 8 is the Logan’s Montague Funeral Home Pace and race 9 is the Rabbit MacDonald Memorial.
Fans can take in the spectacle live at the track or watch the Race Day broadcast at Redshores.ca. Wager from anywhere in Canada through HPIBET.com.
