CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — The record books were under attack the past week in stakes action on the mainland by a number of Island connected colts.
Last Friday at the Truro Raceway in Bible Hill, N.S., Mr Kelly recorded the second fastest mile ever in Atlantic Canada by a Maritime Bred colt as he won his $7,201 Carl and Marg MacKenzie Memorial stakes division in a new three-year-old pacing colt track record of 1:54.1. Adam Merner was in the bike behind the Ron Gass trainee for owners Marsha Knox and Kyla and Wade MacDonald, all of Stanhope. The triactor in the track record mile was filled by three colts sired by Rollwithitharry as Mr Kelly was first, Harry G was second and Woodmere Rollnpop finished third.
The fastest mile ever by a three-year-old Maritime-bred on the East Coast was Complete Player’s 1:53.4 track record performance in Summerside in 2017.
Another $7,201 MacKenzie division at Truro for three-year-old pacing colts saw Windemere Frank win in 1:57.3 from the Earl Watts stable of Hampshire. David Dowling supplied the winning drive for owners Debbie Denney of Nova Scotia and Hollis Newson of Cornwall.
Tobins Rebel won his sixth straight race in a MacKenzie split with a 1:55.2 score for trainer-driver Gilles Barrieau and owner Daniel Ross of Belfast.
Woodmere Skyroller won her $7,535 MacKenzie Memorial division for three-year-old pacing fillies after being placed up from second in a 1:56.3 trip. Brodie MacPhee was in the bike for trainer Kevin MacLean and owner Reg MacPherson of Stratford.
The other filly split was won by Gotta Love Cabot for trainer-driver Clare MacDonald in 1:57.4. The Malicious filly was raised at Gordie Brown’s Greenvale, P.E.I., farm.
The program also had a rarity as a track record was broken in a $1,125 Maiden event with Bettim Again winning by 10 lengths in 1:56 for a new Truro Raceway track record for two-year-old pacing colts. Barrieau was in the bike behind the Malicious colt for Island owners Jeff Lilley of Miltonvale Park, Christina Lecky of Summerside and Blair MacLauchlan of Charlottetown along with Ian MacDonald of Nova Scotia.
The track record action continued the next day at Exhibition Park Raceway in Saint John, N.B., as Steel Reefer won in 1:57 to record a new standard for two-year-old pacing colts for trainer-driver Barrieau. The win came in a $6,280 division of the Milton Downey Memorial stake on a day that Barrieau reined seven winners on the 10-dash program. The Steelhead Hanover colt was raised in Rocky Point by Darren and Ernest Smith.
Barrieau trained Dustylanegoliath won the other colt split in 1:58 for owner Ross while Woodmere Stella was a 1:58.3 winner in the lone filly division for driver Barrieau, trainer Earl Smith and owners Next Generation Stable of Stratford.
P.E.I. Colt Stakes
The P.E.I Colt Stakes, the oldest Standardbred Stakes race in Canada, takes centre stage Saturday at the Charlottetown Driving Park with a doubleheader program. The day will see the two-year-old pacing colts and fillies compete in the card that kicks off at 12:30 p.m., while the second card has a 6:30 p.m. start time, featuring the three-year-old pacing colts and fillies.
Nicholas Oakes' column appears in The Guardian each Friday. He can be reached at [email protected].
