Adkins Hanover tops in preferred pace

Hicken-trained pacer stops clock in 1:57.2

Adkins Hanover does his best work with his foes behind him, and showed how well those tactics work in the Sunday afternoon preferred pace at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park. In line to Corey MacPherson, Adkins Hanover seized the lead from the start in the $2,550 preferred pace, with fractions of 27.2, 56.4 and 1:27.1 on a wet track with a three-second variant.

The Trevor Hicken-trained pacer closed the mile out in 1:57.2 over Czar Seelster (driven by Todd Weatherbee) and Red Magician (Gilles Barrieau). Adkins Hanover is owned by Perry Burke of Grosse-Ile., Que. Trainer Vaughan Doyle had two wins on the program, including a pari-mutuel shocker in Race 10 as he steered Windsun Rebel to a 60-1 upset in the $1,200 class. Owned by Darla Jay of Charlottetown and Shelly Wilkie of Stratford, Windsun Rebel paid a healthy $122.40 for his $2-win ticket backers. Leading driver Marc Campbell had two winners on the card to give him 141 so far this season at Red Shores Charlottetown, just three shy of his 144 record total from the 2016 season.

There are eight cards left to go in the calendar year for Campbell to add to his numbers.

Kenny Arsenault and Gordie Hennessey also had driving doubles on the program.

Live racing continues on Saturday and Sunday afternoons at Red Shores Charlottetown. The P.E.I. Standardbred Horse Owner’s Association Horse Person’s Day is scheduled for Saturday afternoon, featuring the Paul MacDonald Memorial driving championship.