By Nicholas Oakes For Red Shores
CHARLOTTETOWN, PE – The greatest field of Maritime Foaled horses ever assembled will go to the gate during a spectacular Harness The Hope program Saturday at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park.
The Saturday Harness The Hope program will get underway at 4 P.M. featuring the P.E.I. Colt Stakes Graduate Series for four, five and six-year-old horses and geldings, presented by Kays Wholesale.
Race 13 is slated as the Shirley Hennessey Memorial, with the lone Gold division carrying a $5,500 purse.
Island Beach Boy (To be driven by Adam Merner) has rail control from the Tom Weatherbie barn after finishing fourth in last week’s $35,000 Governor’s Plate final. The six-year-old son of Somebeachsomewhere was born in Oyster Bed Bridge, P.E.I., and holds the distinction of having the fastest opening quarter ever clocked in Atlantic Canada.
Post 2 has former two-year-old Atlantic Record Holder Bettim Again (Gilles Barrieau) from the Jeff Lilley barn. The six-year-old son of Malicious boasts 18 wins and $136,699 in lifetime earnings.
Fern Hill General (Brodie MacPhee) has post 3 for trainer Weatherbie. The five-year-old son of Malicious just finished third in the Governor’s Plate final last week.
Four-year-old Betterthancheddar gelding Saulsbrook Ian leaves from post 4 for the team of driver Corey MacPherson and trainer Jamie Smith. Born in Nova Scotia, the gelding has already won in 1:52.1 this season at Woodbine Mohawk Park in Ontario.
Post 5 has the morning line favourite in five-year-old Rollwithitharry gelding Rollwithhottytoddy (Myles Heffernan Sr.) for Trevor Hicken. The fastest free-legged Maritime Bred ever on the East Coast by virtue of his 1:52.3 win at age four, Rollwithhottytoddy has the hopples back on this season and finished second to Twin B Tuffenuff in the Governor’s Plate final held July 20 at Red Shores Summerside.
Former New Brunswick Breeder’s Champion Brumby (Marc Campbell) holds down post 6 for trainer Tammy MacKay. The five-year-old son of Pang Shui has only missed the top-three once this season.
Post 7 will see Malignity for trainer-driver Paul Langille. The Malicious four-year-old holds down a slew of records and achievements from his first two exceptional seasons on the race track.
Rounding out the field is Post 8 starter Middleton Terror for trainer-driver David Dowling. The five-year-old Stonebridge Terror gelding is a 23-time winner from 64 starts and multiple Preferred Pace victor.
The Post Time Picks are siding with Rollwithhottytoddy after his runner-up performance his last start.
“Rollwithhottytoddy comes up with a huge effort every time there’s big money on the line. He did all the heavy-lifting first-over in the Governor’s Plate final and still hung on to second place. I don’t think he’ll be denied this week.”
The program also has $4,300 Grassroots divisions of the P.E.I. Colt Stakes Graduates Series for aged pacing horses in races 7 and 10.
The Harness The Hope female drivers sponsored by CP Construction Services will be presented in race 2 with Ambyr Campbell, Tammy MacKay, Clare MacDonald, Pam Forgie and Natasha Day. Stoney Curtis (Day) is listed as the morning line favorite.
The is the final week of the All Star Handicapping Challenge with Ken Warkentin, Robert Reid Jr and Garnet Barnsdale.
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