CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — The winter meet has ended at Red Shores at the Charlottetown Driving Park (CDP) with a new dash leader emerging.
Gilles Barrieau will continue his lead of the capital oval driving standings with 15 wins when racing resumes on Saturday, May 1. David Dowling is in close pursuit in second place with 14 victories, while Corey MacPherson and Jason Hughes are tied for third with 11 wins each.
Marc Campbell, who has led the dash standings the past 11 seasons, was absent most of the month of January and is in eighth place currently with three winners.
On the training side, Jennifer Doyle has been the hot player at the CDP with nine wins from her stable so far in 2021. Ron Matheson holds down second place with five wins, tied with Mike Dowling who has been undefeated in five seasonal starts with Babbling. There is a five-way tie for fourth place between Adam Merner, Kenny Arsenault, Earl Watts, Ronnie Gass and Joe MacDonald.
Stakes season
The Atlantic stakes calendar has been released with the 2021 season kicking off for sophomores on May 22 in Saint John, N.B. The two-year-old pacers and the trotters will begin their stakes campaigns on July 6-8 at Red Shores at the Summerside Raceway as part of Governor’s Plate week racing.
The Island Breeders had already announced a new look for 2021 with the P.E.I. Standardbred Breeder’s Association actively seeking a new title sponsor for the rebranded P.E.I. Colt Stakes events to be held in Charlottetown and Summerside.
With that change, the contribution of several legendary individuals to Island harness racing will be acknowledged in new ways in high-profile events. The late Bob Dewar was an invaluable volunteer and leader at Summerside Raceway, and in recognition of his contribution the Governor’s Plate consolation has been renamed the Bob Dewar Memorial. Summerside Chrysler Dodge returns as the 2021 Governor’s Plate eliminations and final sponsor.
The Chappell family has been part of the success of Summerside Raceway since the early 1950s, and in recognition the aged pacing mares series during Governor’s Plate week will be renamed the Chappell Memorial.
“We felt it important to have the two highest-profile events held each year at Summerside for our aged horses recognize the Dewar and Chappell names and in events which will always be associated with Summerside Raceway,” said Blaine MacPherson, P.E.I. Harness Racing Industry Association chairman.
“We will also be acknowledging the contributions of inaugural P.E.I. Colt Stakes president, George Callbeck and Tyndall Semple with a special announcement that will be forthcoming shortly.”
The New Brunswick Breeder’s Stakes is a new addition to the stakes program in 2021 with legs and finals in each pacing division being placed on the calendar. That event will be held at Exhibition Park Raceway in Saint John, N.B., with events for New Brunswick-foaled horses and two- and three-year-old horses that are 100 per cent owned and trained in that province.
Nicholas Oakes' column appears in The Guardian each Friday. He can be reached at [email protected].
