By now you know dear reader that Marc Campbell broke the record for most winning drives in a single season at the ‘Charlottetown Driving Park’ last Saturday. And as well, he is one of three nominees for the 2011 O’Brien Award of Horsemanship. The O’Briens of course are Canadian Harness Racing’s equivalent to the Academy Awards, and it’s an honour to be even a candidate in any of the 16 categories. Campbell is also Atlantic Canada’s top driver for 2011, so this is quite a trifecta in a career year for the young man. On top of all this, I learned recently from Standardbred Canada contacts, that my pal Shannon ‘Sugar’ Doyle had been asked to co-host this year’s O’Briens with Ken Middleton. This is recognition of the hard work and effort the Summerside native has put in to making it in Harness Racing. Over the past few years ‘Sugar’ and I have spent a lot of time talking about his career and the options that were open to him. It wasn’t so long ago, that we were discussing should he leave a job with Revenue Canada in Summerside, to take a chance calling the races at Edmonton’s Northlands Park? It was a chancy step at the time. However, it was obvious that for many reasons, he’d get very little opportunity on PEI to follow his dream. So he left for the west in 2006 and hasn’t looked back. Sugar’s also now branched out as a thoroughbred announcer and has become a well-known personality throughout western Canada. These days he’s their go-to guy and calls all the major events at the tracks there. It’s ironic in some ways that once again, a talented individual had to leave PEI to get a shot. One he’d never get at home. I give him all the credit in the world - as Sinatra once said, Sugar did it his way.
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Now back to Campbell’s big day at the CDP. Marc tied the late Paul ‘Dinger’ MacDonald’s record of 118 in Race 3. He then went on to break it with Kathy Furness’s Zanzibar, notching win No. 119 in a time of 2:02.4. Kind of appropriate really in that the horse and owner are from his own home town of Vernon Bridge. Campbell then added to the total by winning the feature in 1:57.4 with the Ken MacInnis owned – Trevor Hicken trained Riccarras Sun. That’s a pretty good time, as they had the track rated 2 seconds off in the sloppy going. Downeast winners also included Bill Roloson’s Oceanview Izzy in 2:01.4 and Austin & Macy Sorrie’s Tanks A lot in 2:02.3. Other dash winners were: Reg Ferguson’s La Traviata - 2:03.4, Lyons Leavinya in 2:03 for Wendell & Robbie Shaw, Dave & Debbie MacMurdo’s Armbro Dandelion – 2:02, Katie’s Victory, now owned by Shelley Gass – 2:05.1, Harold Hill’s All Keyed Up – 2:02.4, Woodmere No Fool for the partnership of Cole, Sudsbury, MacKay and Adams – 2:04.1, Courtside, owned by Mitch Tierney and Courtney MacLean – 2:02.1 and finally Earl Smith’s Beauty Spur – 2:01.1.
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Bill Andrew announced early this week that Meridian Farms is shutting down their operations in western Canada. The first step sees the closure of their stallion service and the transfer of top stallions Brandons Cowboy and Camystic to the farm in Milton PEI. In a news release Andrew is quoted as saying, “This is the first step in our plan to phase out both our breeding and racing operations in Alberta and focus our energy and resources on continuing to build a strong harness racing industry in Atlantic Canada.”
While it is a loss for Alberta, if it means that Andrew plans on taking a more active role in PEI racing matters that can only be a good thing for horsemen. He has been notably outspoken of late with regards to the management hierarchy of the Island industry and highly critical of the decision making process. Looks like 2012 will be an interesting year in PEI harness racing circles.
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The Maritime Harness Racing Commission has released the 2012 race dates. As predicted, the PEI Harness Racing Association’s little insider’s group who constitute Wes Sheridan’s ‘Advisors’, had their way and ‘Summerside Raceway’ once again was allocated only 29 race dates. Surprising? Not really. This is exactly what we said would happen. Horsemen in western PEI have just not been vocal enough in their own cause and therefore have been ignored again. As someone recently pointed out, today’s players just don’t have the political clout, that the big names from the past used to have in that part of PEI. Neither apparently does the City of Summerside, nor the Prince County Horsemens Club. They were lulled last year by promises from government reps and then ignored. However, from what I’ve been told by a member of the new PCHC executive, this year they will be pressing for more dates and unlike the previous board won’t be sitting back and just taking what they’ve been given. Time will tell how effective they are. One positive note, three dates have been moved to late November at the CDP, meaning they’ll have two cards a week that month next year. Thus instead of 118 horses left out as there was last Saturday at the CDP, everyone would get a start at least once a week. Doesn’t make up for the fact those dates should have gone to SRW, but still.
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The 2011Matinee Track Awards were handed out at a Top of the Park gathering last week. Special guests were Cabinet Ministers George Webster and Wes Sheridan. Trophies went to:
A Division – Aria Aria, owned by Robert and Jennifer Parsons
C Division – Rags To Britches, owned by Rick and Nancy Dunville
Top Class – Camillion, owned by Ivan MacMillan
B Division and Department of Agriculture Champion – Miller Miller, owned by Robert and Jennifer Parsons
Amateur Driver of the Year: Tied – Brandon Darrach & Stuart Tremere
Rookie of the Year – Nick MacGillvray
Junior Rookie of the Year – Kyle DesRoche
Standardbred Canada Owner of the Year – Mary Jean and Jay Noye, for top points earner Marfas Vineyard.
As you know I’m a big fan of Susan Whelan and the Matinee Racetrack Development Program she runs. I’m particularly enthused because of the opportunities it provides to our younger budding horsemen & horsewomen.
Congrats to her and all the winners.
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Horses for Courses:
Lots of interesting tidbits this week to tell you about. Early last week an old friend of many Islanders in the game, Dave O’Brien had a winner with his First Rate Shark in 1:56.1 at Western Fair. I was also interested to see the Schooner II Stable crew from Truro (of Somebeachsomewhere fame), had a winner with their 3-year-old Weigh The Odds in 1:56 at Woodbine. Joey Shea trains. Vernon Bridge’s Sean MacSwain had a couple of winners at Flamboro Downs early in the week. His own Skippy was a winner in 1:57.4 and then Mizter Fastforward, owned in partnership with Walter Simmons came home in front as well in 1:56.3. MacSwain trains both.
Mike MacNeil took the Sudbury $34,000 trotting Stake last Saturday night with a familiar name. CDP record holder Moblessdinblues won it in 2:00.2. As well, Garry MacDonald had a win with his own Samara Hanover in :59.3 at Flamboro. He co-owns with Bill Hanes. Howmac Farms and its partners had another win with MacAwesome at EPR. Mile was in 2:00.3. And former 2007 Gold Cup & Saucer winner Silent Swing recorded his 50th career victory at Yonkers Saturday. Owned now by trainer Mark Ford and partner David Shea, time of the mile was 1:52.2. Sunday afternoon at Truro Jonah Moase’s Woodmere Real Drop was a winner in 1:58.2 and George MacGuigan’s JJ Jaguar in 2:00.4. At Rideau Sunday night Wendell MacDonald’s Caliban Hanover went 7 for 7. Mile in 1:58.3, John MacDonald trains and drives.
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Tip O’ the Whip
Whim Road’s John & Jessie Clarey – 50 years of wedded bliss. Congrats from all your friends.

Questions/Comments? hal.al@sympatico.ca

Photos-

Atlantic Canada’s leading driver, Marc Campbell. Standardbred Canada photo

Northlands Park track announcer Sugar Doyle. 

File photoBill Andrew of Meridian Farms. Submitted photo

Attachments: 

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