CHARLOTTETOWN – Euchred bucked the preferred pace trend by hitting the wire first after not securing the early lead at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park on Saturday evening.
Adam Merner engineered the winning trip as Euchred won his third straight $2,650 preferred pace at the capital oval. Winter Blast and driver Jason Hughes were on front for the first lap of the race, setting fractions of 28.4 and 58.2, before being pressured from the first-over Euchred before the third panel of 1:27.3.
Euchred then took control of the race, and fought off the challenge posed by Czar Seelster (driven by Kenny Arsenault) in the stretch drive. Rose Run Quest (Marc Campbell) got up for third.
Terry Gallant trains Euchred for owner Kayla Habicht Walker of Inverness, N.S., as the son of Shadow Play scored his seventh win from 14 seasonal starts.
Patience
Driver Gilles Barrieau played a game of patience in the $2,200 back-up pace as he laid fourth on the rail with Ashes To Ashes for the majority of the race before winning in the stretch drive in 1:56.1. Mr Irresistible (Hughes) did all the early road work with splits of 28.1, 57.1 and 1:26.2, before succumbing to the four-year-old Ashes To Ashes at the end of the mile to finish second. Third went to Tobinator (Corey MacPherson).
Live racing continues Thursday evening at 6:30p.m.
Compiled by Nicholas Oakes for Red Shores.
