Having split North America into two distinct countries – United States and Canada – the review of Canadian racetracks will be undertaken first on a province by province basis commencing with the Maritime provinces and the smallest being Prince Edward Island.
Prince Edward Island (PEI) has two live horse racing venues racing under the Red Shores banner – Charlottetown Driving Park (racetrack and casino) and Summerside. These are two of the earliest harness racing tracks built on PEI.
Early History –
Like many countries, reports of early horse racing which involved match racing prior to any form of organised races were also found in PEI in the early 1800’s. Organised harness racing made it first appearance in 1850 in Charlottetown when ice races were conducted on a one mile circuit on the Charlottetown harbour. By the 1870’s clay tracks appeared in rural areas around both Summerside and Charlottetown while by the next decade tracks had sprung up in most rural communities around the island.
Extract from Red Shores, Charlottetown race book.
Charlottetown Driving Park (Red Shores) –
Charlottetown is the capital and largest city of PEI and the county seat of Queens County. Named after Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, queen consort of King George III of the United Kingdom, Charlottetown originally an unincorporated town was incorporated as a city in 1855.
The site of the Charlottetown Conference in 1864 was the first gathering of Canadian and Maritime statesmen to debate the proposed Maritime Union and the more persuasive British North American Union. Known now as the Canadian Confederation formed in 1867, PEI did not join the Confederation until 1873, six years after its formation. Charlottetown adopted as its motto Cunabula Foederis—”Birthplace of Confederation”. The 150th anniversary of Confederation was observed in Charlottetown in 2017.
Commencing operations on 2 October 1888 on a half mile circuit now racing nine months of the year as Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at Charlottetown Driving Park (CDP), horse racing has always been a major part of PEI’s heritage.
The original judge’s stand built in 1889, restored to its original glory in 1999 and declared a national historic site, stands in centre field. On special occasions the judge’s stand is used for corporate and community group functions. A grandstand seating 2,500, an exhibition building, judge’s stand and stables were built to coincide with the opening of Charlottetown Driving Park and Provincial Exhibition grounds.
In 1905 Charlottetown hosted an Old Home Week in July coinciding with the city’s Golden Jubilee (1855 – 1905). It was the first time harness racing had been held at CDP other than Exhibition Week to attract expatriates to visit home. In 1934 the PEI Harness Racing Club was formed.
With the commencement of World War II an Old Home Week of racing was instituted using the motto “Be it ever so humble, there is no place like home”. Large crowds flocked annually to Old Home Week to the degree that by wars end in August 1945, a record crowd of 18,000 attended on the Friday viewing FFA pacers. In 1946 mobile barrier was introduced for the first time at CDP, one of the first in Canada.
Improvements took place with new ownership in 1947 including night trotting and pari mutuel betting. Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip visited CDP on 30 July 1959, the same year the grandstand burned to the ground, replaced with a new stand in time for the 1960 season. This was also the year the Gold Cup and Saucer race was first run (see later for more details) with the Atlantic Sires Stakes programme first featuring in 1967.
A major upgrade saw the 50,000 sq ft. Charlottetown Driving Park Entertainment Centre opened to the public on 11 August 2005. The facility was renamed ‘Red Shores Racetrack & Casino’ at Charlottetown Driving Park in 2009 continuing to proudly showcase the deep history of horse racing on Prince Edward Island and the stars of its sport. The complex is one of the most sophisticated centres of its kind in Canada, providing year round high quality entertainment with the most advanced responsible gaming features available.
Highlights include:
- live harness racing
- new climate controlled grandstand
- restored three-tier Top Of the Park Restaurant overlooking the historic track, one of three on course restaurant options
- Trackside Patio next to racing action
- Casino featuring over two hundred slots, five professional Texas Hold’em and Omaha Poker tables, four Blackjack tables, Red’s Gold Cup lounge
- teletheatre hosting pari-mutuel betting and enhanced simulcast racing. Turfs Bar and Grill located in this area
- tribute wall to harness racing families and the harness racing history in P.E.I.
The CDP is home to the prestigious Gold Cup & Saucer race held annually during Old Home Week in August, a PEI tradition starting in 1960. The fastest horses and best drivers in Eastern Canada converge at Red Shores for fifteen racing programmes spread over nine days.
The Gold Cup and Saucer/Old Home Week parade is held in downtown Charlottetown on the Friday before the great race. Gold Cup ambassadors have been part of this great harness racing community since 1961 with representatives travelling throughout PEI promoting harness racing to Islanders and visitors. They are part and parcel of all the pageantry on Gold Cup and Saucer night at Charlottetown Driving Park.
Gold Cup and Saucer Week ends at midnight Saturday evening when horses and drivers parade past spectators as the Island hymn is played to a packed house. The lights go out and the horses and their drivers are introduced to the thousands of fans one by one under the spotlight as they make their way in front of the grandstand. At two minutes to midnight the famous call to the post is heard and the horses and drivers get ready to compete in the Guardian Gold Cup & Saucer.
Note – refer harnessbred article “Gold Cup and Saucer Final” dated 20 September 2017 for further details concerning this great race.
https://baringbloodstock.com.au/gold-cup-saucer-final/
CDP was the fifth and last venue for heats (four) of the 28th World Driving Championship in 2017 won by PEI native James MacDonald who represented the World Trotting Association defending his title in Sweden in 2019. The 25th World Trotting Conference in 2017 was held in Charlottetown when Canada celebrated its 150th year as a country.
CDP record holders –
- Pacing Record Holder – Ys Lotusholds the aged pacing record of 1:50.1 set in the 57th Sobeys Gold Cup & Saucer on Saturday 20 August 2016 for owner Yves Sarrazin of La Presentation, Quebec. Ys Lotus was trained by Rene Allard and driven by Louis Phillipe Roy
- Trotting Record Holder – Cheeky Little Minxholds the trot record T1:55.4 set on 26 August 2021. Owned by Wayne Macrae, Fall River, NS – Howmac Farms, Brookfield, PE and trained/ driven by Gilles Barrieau
Summerside (Red Shores) –
The second largest city in the province and the primary service centre for the western part of the island is located in Prince County. The harness racing facility is adjacent to Credit Union Place, the largest indoor sports facility in the province with a large hockey arena seating 4000, bowling alley, 25-metre swimming pool and other fitness and meeting facilities.
The half mile Summerside Raceway (SRW) believed to be the oldest continuously racing track in Canada offers live racing six months of the year.
Track owners the Green Brothers feature race on opening day 1 July 1886, was a match race between Hernando and Black Pilot. The “Island Farmer” of 30 August 1888 stated that the race attracted a crowd of five thousand patrons although the grandstand only catered for five hundred. Black Pilot (dr Charlie Earl, owner Mr Dockendroff) won the last three heats after losing the first heat to Hernando (dr P.C. Brown; owners Dr. J. A. Gourlie and R. C. McLeod). Prizemoney was based on each horse taking a quarter of the total gate with the owners of the track taking the other half. The “Island Farmer” reported that the Green Bros. paid for the cost of the track with the huge crowd.
SRW’s major annual event is the Governor’s Plate held each July having debuted in 1969 during their Lobster Carnival week of racing. The first sub two minute mile in PEI was paced on the Summerside track in 1984 when Winners Accolade paced 1:59.2 in winning the Governors Plate. In recent years renovations to the Summerside gaming floor, offering a mix of Video Lottery Terminals in a new modern destination have been installed. The West End Bar & Grill offers a popular dining location for locals and visitors to the island both during and outside racing hours.
Next Article : Canada – Maritime province : New Brunswick
Peter Craig
6 April 2022
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
Driving The Future Of Harness Racing
