By Nicholas Oakes For Red Shores
CHARLOTTETOWN, PE – The Preferred pacers have been trading blows every week at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park but it was Roll Em who went all the way in Sunday’s renewal.
The $4,600 Preferred had Roll Em (Driven by Marc Campbell) sprint to the lead and do all the way in 1:55.4 at 6-5 odds over Blood Money (Gilles Barrieau) and race favourite Bee Two Bee (Jason Hughes). Brent Campbell co-owns and trains the son of Time To Roll with Ryan MacLeod and Savage Stable.
The program also featured the third and final leg of the Joe and Steven MacRae Memorial Pacing Series.
The first $7,500 Horses and Geldings division in Race 1 had Luigi Bizacko (Steven Murphy) get up in the finale strides at 8-1 odds to defeat the heavily favoured Poplar Artie (Marc Campbell) in 2:00 with third going to Midnight MacNeill (David Dowling). Amanda Mactavish of Harrington holds the ownership papers of the winning pacer.
Dylan Sam (Myles Heffernan Sr.) was a serious leader in the other $7,500 MacRae Memorial division for Horses and Geldings as he paced to victory in 2:01.4 and lit up the tote board at 15-1 on top of a $1,430.45 $1 triactor ticket populated by Power Of Four (Marc Campbell) and Pineapple Express (William MacKay Jr.). Alan Gregory owns and trains the son of Sweet Lou with Tyson MacDonald of Hazelbrook.
Sagali (Mark Bradley) came to play as the 3-5 favourite in her $7,500 MacRae Memorial split for Fillies and Mares winning in 2:02.4 over Watch Her Go (Marc Campbell) and Brookdale Shelley (Paul Langille). Phil Kelly trains the seven-year-old daughter of Shanghai Phil for The Sagali Six Stable of Charlottetown.
The final $7,500 Fillies and Mares division of the MacRae Memorial had Heatherspet (Adam Merner) ride the two-hole to victory in 2:03 at 7-1 odds for owner-trainer Neil Bambrick. Southern Heart (Corey MacPherson) held on for second with Elm Grove Nanci (Ken Murphy) rallying for third.
The duo of driver Ryan Desroche and trainer Shayna Toll notched their first Red Shores Charlottetown win of 2024 as Ms Meaghan Sparkel (2:00.3) prevailed at 4-1 odds. Island native Desroche and Ontario native Toll relocated to P.E.I., recently from the Ontario circuit.
Dowling doubled up from his own stable winning with Sahara Sunshine (2:00.1) at 3-5 odds and Promise Me Later (1:58.1) at 2-5.
The Ashley Gamester camp made a pair of trips to the winner’s circle, both with driver Jason Hughes in tow, winning with Fight Song (1:59.1) at 1-9 odds in the $3,650 Open Trot and Acefortyfour Dome (1:58.1) at 2-1 in the finale. Both Gamester trainees are owned by Donald MacRae of Vernon Bridge.
Live racing continues Boxing Day (Dec. 26) with a 12:30 opening post time at Red Shores Charlottetown.
