CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — Trot stake Thursday continues this week with the top trotters on the East Coast competing in the 85th anniversary of Canada’s oldest stake race at Red Shores at the Charlottetown Driving Park (CDP).
The 12-dash card gets underway at 6:30 p.m. featuring the P.E.I. Colt Stakes for two- and three-year-old trotters. The fastest three-year-old Maritime-bred trotter ever on the East Coast, Gettin Messi, is the heavy favourite in Race 7 in a $5,700 sophomore P.E.I. Colt Stakes division. Mike McGuigan is back in the race bike behind the Len McGuigan-trainee for owner Jamie Whalen of Avondale. An eight-time winner from 11 seasonal starts, Getting Messi has Post 5 tonight.
Ya Boy Bear is the heralded top choice in another three-year-old split in Race 5 for trainer-driver Marc Campbell and owner Michael Bailey of Morell. The Post 6 starter was a winner his last time out in Lady Slipper stake action in Charlottetown.
The final three-year-old P.E.I. Colt Stakes division in Race 9 has last year’s champion trotter, Mile Hill Willie, leaving from Post 2 in search of the top prize in the $5,700 event. Gilles Barrieau handles the driving duties for owner-trainer Paul Morrison of Cardigan.
The program also featured a pair of two-year-old P.E.I Colt Stakes trot divisions with those horses also vying for the top-eight spots in the Island Breeders series to make the end of year finals.
The first race of the program carries a $7,700 purse in rookie P.E.I. Colt Stakes action with newly minted CDP two-year-old trotting filly track record holder Incredible Hally the favourite from Post 2. Campbell trains and drives the daughter of Angus Hall for Island owners Calvin Larkin, Erika Bradley, Brian Fogarty and Herbie MacDonald.
Mack Truck has rail control in the other $7,700 division as the early favourite for driver Barrieau, trainer Randy Van Meer and owners Donna Van Meer of Bowmanville, Ont., and Lynda MacSwain of Kinkora.
The first P.E.I Colt Stakes races were held on Sept. 19, 1934, at the CDP as the first stakes races in the history of Canadian harness racing.
Compiled by Nicholas Oakes for Red Shores.
