CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — Doctor Royal is back on red soil tonight for the top race at Red Shores at the Charlottetown Driving Park after putting away his only real challenge in the first quarter of last week’s race.
Tonight’s 13-dash program gets underway at 6 p.m. with the $2,900 preferred pace hitting the trace in Race 12. Doctor Royal will leave from the far outside in the seven-horse field with Gilles Barrieau back in the bike for owner-trainer Dawn Ellis Abbott of Truro, N.S.
Hes Marvalous (Myles Heffernan) stalked Doctor Royal for the duration of the race last week to finish third and will leave from Post 4 tonight. Mick Dundee has been installed as second choice in the morning line from Post 3 for trainer-driver Don MacNeill of New Haven.
Race analyst Les MacIsaac sees the contest as Doctor Royal’s race to lose.
“After a jogburger at Truro, Doctor Royal made his Island debut last week and nothing changed,” MacIsaac said. “He's looking for his third straight (win) tonight and, other than the likely short price, there's not much to dislike.”
The field also includes: Red Magician (Adam Merner), Winter Blast (Corey MacPherson), Confident Fella (Marc Campbell) and Adkins Hanover (David Dowling).
One of the top pacers on the East Coast in 2018, Euchred returns to racing action in the Race 13 finale now under the care of trainer-driver Dowling. Kayla Habicht Walker of Inverness, N.S., owns the seven-year-old son of Shadow Play who compiled an impressive season in 2018, including runner-up finishes in the $25,000 Governor’s Plate Final and the $5,000 Cecil Ladner Memorial.
Noplay made his East Coast debut a winning one last week and has drawn Post 2 in Race 10 for a $1,700 pot. Ken Murphy is back in the seat behind the five-year-old son of Shadow Play for owner-trainer Allan Gregory of Charlottetown.
Screen Test makes his debut in Race 4 after shipping in from Western Canada for owners Kickin Horse Stable of York, and William Andrew of Calgary. Corey MacPherson will drive the Stephen Gass-trainee at 8-1 odds in the $2,500 event.
The Leonard MacPhail Memorial lines up in Race 6 with Starcastic the top choice with Barrieau in the bike from Post 5 for trainer Jackie Matheson and owners Bobbi Jo Matheson and Billy MacKenzie.
Merner will be the special guest on Inside Track with Lee Drake at 5:35pm.
Compiled by Nicholas Oakes for Red Shores.
