By Nicholas Oakes for Red Shores
SUMMERSIDE, PE – Miki Shan N delivered a dominating performance in the $50,000 Governor’s Plate Final, presented by Summerside Chrysler Dodge, Saturday at Red Shores at the Summerside Raceway.
Miki Shan N ($2.30) crushed his rivals with a jaw-dropping 26.3 final quarter for driver Jason Hughes and trainer Chris MacKay in a final time of 1:53 flat for owners Kap Singh Racing Stable, Stephen Klunowski, Earl Hill Jr., and Donald MacRae.
The Kiwi-bred powerhouse seized control early and never looked back, with fractions of 27.2, 57.4 and 1:26.2 before drawing off by nearly nine lengths in a commanding front-end tour de force. Bounty Hunter (Ken Arsenault) was a clear second while Tony Too Tall (Myles Heffernan Sr.) came up the inside to finish third. Miki Shan N paid $2.30 to win.
The Governor’s Plate win was the first for Hughes and second for trainer MacKay, who previously won the race with Do Over Hanover in 2017.
It was a feature sweep for trainer MacKay, who had three wins on the program, as Plain Jane ($19.00) won the $14,000 Ruby Chappell Memorial Open Mares Final in 1:56.2 with Brodie MacPhee in the bike for owners Leigh and Faith Gavin of Sea Cow Pond.
Also bouncing back from a fifth-place Governor’s Plate elimination finish, Bee Two Bee ($4.40) won the $15,000 Bob Dewar Memorial Governor’s Plate Consolation with a 1:51.4 score for driver Hughes, trainer Ashley Gamester and owners Blair MacLauchlan and Donald MacRae. It was the first time since Marc Campbell in 2021 that a driver won both the consolation and final.
In the $7,500 Andrew Perry Memorial Open Trot, Fight Song ($4.60) delivered a statement, opening up by 10 lengths to win in 1:57.3 for Hughes, Gamester and owner MacRae. Curadh (Ryan Desroche) was best of the rest, while Buckhead Ridge (Marc Campbell) rebounded for third after a miscue at the start. Fresh off a track record at Red Shores Charlottetown last week, Fight Song set a new aged male track trotting record in his Red Shores Summerside start, erasing the record held by New Legacy in 1:58.1 from 2023.
Windemere Saddy ($11.40) took a two-hole ride to perfection in the $8,500 Ruby Chappell Memorial Open Mares Consolation with a 1:55.1 victory for co-owner and trainer Saul Lanigan and co-owners Shane Esson, Darcy Doyle and Isaac Schurman.
A pair of $17,180 A-divisions of the Atlantic Sires Stakes for three-year-old pacing colts provided fireworks of a different kind.
All My Lovin ($28.00) launched a perfectly timed attack for driver Adam Merner to nail odds-on favourite Malevolent (Paul Langille) at the wire in 1:53.1 in race 9 with Bentley (Marc Campbell) in third. The victory was a career-best for the Malicious colt, trained by Earl Watts for Windemere Farms, Brian and Ira Wallach Racing, Debbie Denney and Clive Balderston. The mile set a new track record for three-year-old pacing colts, lowering the 1:53.3 standard set by Tobins Chester in 2024.
Phil My Beer ($2.40) delivered on his heavy-favourite status in race 14, controlling every step of the mile to win in 1:56.3 for Marc Campbell and trainer Landon Campbell. Rosetown Eclipse (Corey MacPherson) was a game second, while Here On Earth (Paul Langille) completed the triactor. Marc Campbell also claimed the Basil Whelan Memorial trophy on the evening as leading driver of Governor’s Plate Week 2025.
Jennifer Doyle recorded a training double on the program.
Live racing continues Tuesday evening at 6 P.M. at Red Shores Summerside.
For full replays, programs, and upcoming race dates, visit RedShores.ca.
