PEI Matinee Racetrack Development Project

Prince County Exhibition will be holding their second race date on Saturday, September 11th. Entries should be made to Joey Campbell at 831-2380 by the previous Thursday.
Willis Racetrack in O’Leary will be holding their rain date for the Wishmaker Pace on Saturday September 18th.

Kensington, August 29

The second set of races to be held on the Prince County Exhibition grounds in Alberton will be on Saturday, September 11th. This will be a Matinee Challenge Series race complete with points and race allowance. Time and details to come.

Anyone wishing to race in the Kilted Pace Sunday should call Scott MacPhail at 838-5133 to place their entries.

Fastest mile of the day was Devon Wallace driving Jay Noye’s Picture It in the Lloyd O’Brien & Tignish Credit Union pace in 2:04. The Joe O’Brien Memorial was won by Norris Rogers driving another of Jay Noye’s horses, Coors Lite, in 2:06.4.

Race 1 (Syd Rennie Memorial, Alberton Home Hardware)
1. Paper Boy
2. Glengyle Cody
3. Jasper Friendly Bear
Race 2 (Central Credit Union, Summerside Raceway)
1. JK Cruiser
2. With Character
3. The Magic Fit
Race 3 (Thompson Family Pace, Pat Murphy MLA)
1. Rags To Britches
2. Dock Road Tanya
Race 4 (Lloyd O’Brien Memorial, Tignish Credit Union)
1. Picture It
2. River View Jenean
3. Butterscotch Belle
4. Southwind Hattie
Race 5 (Elmsdale Corner Gas, Tignish Co-Op)
1. Only A Rose
2. Gold N Chances
3. NS Empress
4. Windermere Dawn
Race 6 (Town Of Alberton, West Prince Construction)
1. Elmgrove Exotic
2. Rebecca Dawn
3. Step On Nanny
4. Sherwood Dexter
5. Speedy Abe
Race 7 (Gaudettes Transit Mix)
1. Jacks Pride
2. Sammys Luck
Race 8 (Alden Gamble Memorial, Harper Construction)
1. Millar Millar
2. Ella Mae
3. Strakor
4. Benny Wabbit
Race 9 (Harry O’Brien Memorial, RH Rennie & Sons)
1. Coors Life
2. Dunk River Adam
3. Bonaires Bubba
4. Sassy Little Shark
5. Camillion

PRINCE COUNTY EXHIBITION RACING
Challenge Series races will take place at the Prince County Exhibition in Alberton on
Saturday, July 31st, this year. Post time is 2 p.m. and horsemen are reminded that white pants and
distinguishing colors must be worn and matinee racing is whip free.
Entries should be called in to Joey Campbell, at 831-2380 before Thursday July 29th.
There is no word on a new date for the cancelled Thursday race as yet.

The Prince County Exhibition, traditionally scheduled from Thursday to Sunday has changed their dates this year. The exhibition will run from Friday, July 30th to Sunday, August 1st. The Matinee Racetracks Challenge Series will race only on Saturday, July 31st with a 2 p.m. post time.
Wendy Warren of the exhibition board says they are planning another race at the Alberton fairgrounds at a later date, not yet specified.
There was concern from the board that the races are not well attended. The new “no whip” racing should have a positive effect on attracting spectators, but it will take time for people to realize the change. Anyone involved with matinee racing who wants to see racing continue at Alberton or any other track should make sure they talk up our matinee racing with anybody who will listen and invite as many people out to watch the races as possible. Make our races and our backstretches places where people want to bring their families and friends. Grassroots racing is dying all across North America and we are the only ones who can keep it alive on this Island, but it’s going to take all of us doing our little bit to bring in more people.

The Matinee Championship Series started Saturday, June 12th, at the Charles F Willis Memorial Racetrack in O‘Leary, with one very important change. Track directors at their annual meeting decided to institute a “no whip” rule for racing in the series. It made for a more exciting afternoon, sounding like old-time racing, with drivers yelling as they urged their horses down the stretch.
It was racing at its best, with a beautiful, sunny day, a well groomed track, brand-new ship in stalls, orderly post parades and families out enjoying the afternoon in the renovated grandstand. Next Series date is Wednesday, June 16th at Pinette, with post time at 6 p.m.
Results:
Race 1
1. Ellie May, owned and driven by Terry Shea 2:22
2. Droppie Droppie, owned and driven by Johnny Jones
3. Windamere Dawn, owned by Byron Gamester, driven by Clair Sweet
4. DNF, broken equipment, Howmac Star Shark

Race 2
1. Fefifofum, oned and driven by Freeman Coughlin 2:12.2
2. Sherwood Dexter, owned by Byron Gamester, driven by Clair Sweet
3. Jasperfriendlybear, owned and driven by Terry Shea
4. Gold And Chances, owned and driven by Ryan DesRoche
5. Step On Nanny, owned by Byron Gamester

Race 3
1. Millar Millar, o Robert Parsons, d Erwin Neale 2:10
2. Roslyns Lady, o/d Clayton Adams
3. Blow Over, o/d Dana Sweet
4. Rags To Britches, o Nancy Darrach, d Brandon Darrach
5. Paper Boy o/d Aubin Doucette
6. Misty Fog, o/d Stuart Tremere

Race 4
1. Glengyle Cody o/d Freeman Coughlin 2:12
2. Bunny Wabbit o/d Aubin Doucette
3. J I S o/d Clayton Adams
4. The Magic Fit o Harold Darrach, d Brandon Darrach
5. Speedy Abe o Melvin Gamester d Clair Sweet
Race 5
1. Lucky Northern star o Chris Wallace, d Devon Wallace 2:06.4
2. PW Feisty o/d Clair Sweet
3. Southern Peewee o Ken, David & Ellis Sweet d Ralph Sweet
4. Butterscotch Belle o Nancy Darrach, d Brandon Darrach
5. Dandys X Ample o/d Dana Sweet

Race 6
1. Brace For The Chill o/d Freeman Coughlin 2:04.1
2. Kaitlyn Rose o Ellis Sweet, Dale Wood d Ralph Sweet
3. Rivervue Jameen o/d Ryan DesRoche

Racing without whips

New ship-in barn at O'Leary

The first card of matinee races will be held this Saturday, May 22, at O’Leary. Races start at 2 p.m. and entries must be phoned to Phillip DesRoches at 859-1515. The track is in great condition and they are expecting several two-year-old races.

A Matinee Racetrack Directors’ Meeting took place Monday, March 29th in Kensington.
Approved unanimously were some changes to the matinee Challenge Series program, including,
a no whipping rule, an additional race date in O’Leary and a change in the travel allowance.

Since one of the goals of matinee racing is to attract new fans, particularly young people, to
harness racing, it was suggested that we should set the standard for fan-friendly racing and
sportsmanship, and therefore, the Challenge Series races will take place with no whipping allowed.

Directors from the track in O’Leary requested an additional race date, and have been granted
a fourth Challenge Series race to take place on Saturday, July 10th at 2 p.m.

There will no longer be a $70 travel allowance per horse for horsemen who truck 30 kilometres
or more each way. Instead, every horseman who races in a Challenge Series race will receive
a fee of $25 per horse, subject to money available. Horsemen racing in the Final at Summerside, will
receive a fee of $70 per horse.

All horsemen racing in Challenge Series races, with the exception of the Kilted Pace, must wear
white pants and a distinguishing jacket.

All Challenge Series horses must be entered a minimum of 2 days in advance of the race.
All tracks will have a maximum horse cap of 40 horses per race date, and some tracks have
instituted a 2 horse maximum per participant.

Plans are underway for a women’s race series to take place during the Challenge Series,
with a final at Summerside.