By Nicholas Oakes For Red Shores

CHARLOTTETOWN, PE – The Weekend of Champions kicks off Saturday afternoon with Atlantic Breeders Crown consolation action at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park.

The 12-dash card has a 12:30 P.M. start time featuring four consolation races in the Atlantic Sires Stakes pacing divisions.

The first $5,000 consolation hits the track in race 5 with the two-year-old pacing filly in play. Cheeky Cherry gets the respect of race secretary Gerard Smith as the morning line favourite with rail control for trainer-driver Clare MacDonald and owner Earith Riley of Summerside, P.E.I. The rookie daughter of Westwardho Hanover has yet to make the winner’s circle in her career despite five top three finishes from eight lifetime starts. Other top entries include Arc Light (Driven by Marc Campbell) and Woodmere Oleksiak (David Dowling).

Purple Poet gets top billing in the $5,000 two-year-old pacing colt Atlantic Breeders Crown consolation but must contend with post 8. Gilles Barrieau does the driving in his race 5 contest for trainer Robert Phillips and owner Kevin Harvey of Hammonds Plains, N.S. J Ks Boy is second choice from post 2 for driver Campbell while Knockout Punch (Jason Hughes) rides a streak of second place finishes into the race with post 6.

Race 9 has the three-year-old pacing filly consolation with Cherry Pop the early favourite with rail control for trainer-driver Darren Crowe and owners David Livingstone, Charles Piper Jr., Randall MacIntosh and Robert Siteman, all of Nova Scotia. The Ameripan Gigolo lass sports four wins in 2018 and over $10,000 in earnings. Silverhill Misty (Hughes) is posted as top competition from post 2 while Elm Grove Maddy has been solid all season and gets post 7 this week for driver Dale Spence.

Race 11 has sophomore pacing colts in $5,000 Atlantic Breeders Crown consolation action. Dustylanewesty is the morning line choice with post 5 for trainer-driver MacDonald and owners Ian Tate of St. Andrew’s, N.S., and Riley Farms Ltd., of Summerside, P.E.I. The colt recently took a lifetime best of 1:57.3 in stakes action in Nova Scotia but will contend with Blackriver Ripper (Redmond Doucet) and Thegreatmaelstrom (Ken Murphy) on Saturday afternoon.

For more information on Saturday’s program and on the events surrounding Atlantic Breeders Crown Weekend go to www.Redshores.ca.