By Diane Daniels
The Donnie and George Turner Memorial Stake for Maritime-foaled three-year-old pacers at Truro Raceway tomorrow is the only stake event in Atlantic Canada where the fillies compete against the colts.
The 55th edition of this fall has attracted 13 Maritime sophomores vying for total purse money of $28,414 in two divisions.
Local contenders in the raceway's final stake for 2012 include She's Astronomical for Malcolm MacNeil and Cathy Benedict, Island Lexus out of the Romo Stable for Ian Banks and Charles MacDonald and Wes Patriquin's Putnams New Year and Isle Of Palms co-owned with Paul Merlin.
Both Donnie and George Turner were grassroots horsemen from Westphal, Halifax County and alive with a passion for standardbreds and harness racing participating primarily at Truro.
However, Donnie Turner did campaign Farscud and Joesdale Clansman on the Maritime Free-For-All-Circuit in the early 1950s. Family and friends of these renowned Maritime horsemen will be on hand for the trackside presentations tomorrow afternoon.
Post-time for the 12-dash program is 1:30 p.m. with a qualifying session slated for noon.
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Keeping with tradition, Truro Raceway will also host the annual Halloween pace programmed for Race 10. It's a handicapped pace with an interesting mix of eight starters including non-winners of $701, or $951 as well as $3,000 claimers.
Horse players will find the class wide open and evenly matched with Barbara Pearl's Maritimer and Danica Ellis' San Marco Hanover down in class while Putnams Storm and Rumble Cheeks are fresh off of decisive victories.
Connections of the winning horse will receive a colorful holiday blanket sponsored by the raceway.
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With Halloween on the horizon, the staff at Truro Raceway is getting in the spirit of the season in costume. Tomorrow Raceway employees have opted to dress representing the name of a horse and invite fans and horse people alike to join in the fun of dressing up.
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Last Friday's ninth annual NSPE Select Yearling Sale brought out the major players in the sport to evaluating the impressive 2011 crop of yearlings destined for the sales ring.
Hip #21, Saulsbrook Alana, daughter of the leading pacing sire Western Paradise and consigned by Saulsbrook Stables, topped the sale haltered at $13,100 by Reg MacPherson of Stratford, Prince Edward Island.
True Patrio, a son of the prolific family of Ameripan Gigolo, garnered $7,500 for consignor Meridian Farms from local harness racing enthusiast Ian Banks.
The complete list of results for the sale is available at www.truroraceway.ca.
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In addition to enjoying exciting thoroughbred action televised live from Woodbine, Belmont and Kenneland, track fans today will be privy to lots of talented horses as Woodbine Harness presents the excitement of the Breeders Crown finals boasting purse money totaling in excess of $6 million.
The Bible Hill grandstand opens at noon with Saint John's Exhibition Park kicking off racing entertainment at 1 p.m.
Diane Daniels is the race office supervisor at Truro Raceway.
