By Nicholas Oakes For Red Shores
SUMMERSIDE, PE – Roll Em will leave from the grandstand side of the starting gate as he looks to defend his Governor’s Plate title on Saturday at Red Shores at the Summerside Raceway.
The conclusion of Governor’s Plate Week racing will be the $35,000 Governor’s Plate final, presented by Summerside Chrysler Dodge, carded as race 16 on Saturday. The 16-dash card will commence at 4 P.M., at Red Shores Summerside culminating in the 56th edition of the Governor’s Plate.
2023 champion Roll Em is the morning line favourite in the Governor’s Plate final but he will leave from post 8 in the Invitational field. Marc Campbell drives the 33-time winner for co-owner and trainer Brent Campbell and co-owners Ryan MacLeod, Savage Stable and Brady Doyle. The six-year-old gelding handily won his Governor’s Plate elimination in 1:53.3 on Sunday.
The other elimination winners was Rollwithhottytoddy who has post 4 in the $35,000 final as he seeks to become the first Atlantic bred in 17 years to win the prestigious race since Dunachton Gale accomplished the feat in 2007. Myles Heffernan Sr., drives Rollwithhottytoddy for owner-trainer Trevor Hicken.
Fellow Atlantic bred Fern Hill General (Brodie MacPhee) also has a shot to reignite history from post 2 for trainer Tom Weatherbie.
Also in the field are Batterup Hanover (To be driven by Paul Langille), Bee Two Bee (Jason Hughes), Twin B Tuffenuff (Gilles Barrieau), Island Beach Boy (Corey MacPherson) and All Bets On Tex (Ken Murphy).
Drivers Langille, Hughes, Heffernan, MacPherson and Murphy will be aiming for their first Governor’s Plate win in the race. On the training side, only Twin B Tuffenuff’s trainer Ron Matheson has captured the final.
The $12,500 Bob Dewar Memorial Governor’s Plate consolation is carded as race 13.
The program also features Atlantic Sires Stakes action with just one $29,200 A-division for three-year-old pacing colts. Merigo Magic (Adam Merner) will put his six-race undefeated season to the test from post 4 for trainer Melissa Rennie.
Race 15 is the $7,500 Ruby Chappell Memorial Final for Open Pacing Mares. Flip The Script (Barrieau) is favoured from the Ashley MacDonald barn over Rosetown Mary (MacPherson) and Sugar Bowl (Murphy).
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