For PEI'ers, and those who love Prince Edward Island

One of the aspects I love about publishing this Harness Horses Info blog is the recent visitors Live Traffic Feed app that shows us (see below and sidebar) all where the website visitors come from. You can see it on the right side column of all posts, however if you've never actually focused on it, please do have a look:




















One thing I enjoy is seeing that my dad was on the blog, and I also believe it really shows how far our industry spreads around the world, as we have a variety of visitors from Canada, the USA, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Most of all, i love seeing Charlottetown or Summerside PE show up on the list.

The thing is, I'm Boo Trainor's kid (okay, his 50+ son...), and even though i grew up in Southern Ontario, Prince Edward island is a valued "homeland" to me and my family. As my mom is from New Brunswick, a trip Down East is always a pleasure.

This past summer we had a Trainor Clan Family Reunion in PEI (and also celebrated my Aunt Mary's 90th Birthday!), and here's a pic of the hayride we took on my cousin's dairy farm:



Starting with the elegant gal in purple in the front, then moving clockwise:

Cousin Pat, Daphne (my Mother-in-law), David (my son), Aaron (my other son), Matthew (nephew), Sharon and Andrew (sister-inlaw and her husband), Pat and Brian's granddaughter, Brian, Jessica (niece), Rebecca (my daughter), Leah (niece), Joe trainor (myself) and coudin Allan with the camera!

I will do my best to continue posting harness racing stories of relevance to PEI (eg Mark MacDonald) and if any readers have any requests, please post them in the Comments section below.


Peace 2 All,

Joe



ps - Anybody missing PEI? Click on the 2nd link below and you'll be back in downtown Charlottetown, in real time!

Live webcam images from Confederation Bridge, PEI

Live online video camera feed from downtown Charlottetown PEI

CBC webcam view of bridge to Prince Edward Island

Prince Edward Island Road Conditions / PEI Traffic Cameras website

Mark MacDonald responds to Driver of the Year nominations

Mark MacDonald driving Western Silk



First off the gate was Mark's father Fred MacDonald, who penned an op-ed column in the Charlottetown Guardian stating the case that his son should have been nominated as Canada's harness racing Driver of the Year for 2010.

Highlights of Fred MacDonald's comments:

Fred on Waples in 2010:

Waples had a great season as well. He won the Breeders Crown with aged mare Dreamfair Eternal as she dominated the Open Mares throughout the season. He won the $600,000 Maple Leaf trot with sensational San Pail, and the $539,000 Valley Victory trot with Blue Porsche. In addition, during OSS Super Final night at Woodbine, he won two $300,000 events on the same card, including one with trot standout Text Me.

A little passive-aggressive there Freddie, but okay, Randy did have some good horses; go on...


Fred on Scott Zeron in 2010:

Zeron led all drivers in the country with 592 wins and a career-high $4.3 million in earnings. Zeron, the son of veteran driver Rick Zeron, campaigned mostly on the 'B' circuit, including Western Fair, Flamboro and Georgian Raceway. He posted 27 wins on the tough Woodbine/Mohawk Circuit. His most important win of the campaign came in the $50,000 Gold Cup and Saucer at Charlottetown with Part Shark, the youngest to ever win the event.


Alright, so Scott has yet to be tested in the big events...


Fred regarding his son Mark in 2010:

Mark’s major wins: $1.5-million North America Cup, the richest race in North America, with Sportswriter in 1:48:3; the $800,000 Fan Hanover Stakes, the richest race for three-year-old fillies with Western Silk, the $240,000 Jugette at Delaware, Ohio, with Western Silk, a rarity for an Ontario-bred; the $100,000 Senior Jug with Lucky Man p, 1:49:2 World Record, the Eternal Camnation Stakes, all three $100,000-plus legs in one night with Idyllic, Pretty Katherine and Mater Deo.


Response of Mark MacDonald (from StandardbredCanada.ca comments on Feed MacDonald's article on Mark MacDonald):

Hell hath no furry like a scorned father! LOL

This is Mark MacDonald and I am so proud of the year I had and so grateful for all the Owners & Trainers that had the confidence to let me drive some of the best horses in some of the biggest races in the world. There is no feeling like crossing the wire after winning a 1.5 Million dollar race about 20 minutes after winning a $700,000 Race. The Jugette with Silky (my girl), the Simcoe with Kyle, sweeping the Champlain on grand circuit night at moh and three Super Finals was the a cherry on top. God must love me and I really dedicate my year to all the people who were blessed with a second chance in life.

I am so happy for Scott Zeron leading driver in Canada by wins and of course our leading driver at WEG Randy Waples. They both deserved to be nominated, with out a doubt they both had amazing years. Obviously, a nomination would have been nice but I have been fortunate enough to already have won two O'Brien Awards.

I am thrilled that the public (my dad lol) think that I am deserving enough for this honor. I also think, the two people nominated are equally deserving for an O'Brien Award. Hopefully, Standardbred Canada will let me be there to announce the winner and present either nominee with their trophy.

Lastly, I hope I don't sound like a politician but I truly believe that Scott, Randy and myself among others, like Jody Jamieson, Paul MacDonell, Etc. could have been nominated. It just comes down to a vote plain and simple. The two people with the most votes are well deserving and good luck to both of them!!

Hopefully next year the votes will be in my favour. Can't wait until 2011 hope I can win some more big races and make all of P.E.I., Canada and my family proud... Especially my Mom and Dad! We LOVE "Grassroots" racing, it's essential for the success of harness racing not just in Ontario but all of Canada and the U.S.A. You can't blame dad for being my biggest fan, I'm lucky to have him......

All the best to everyone in 2011.....if you have a really good horse hopefully I can drive it for you lol....Sorry to anyone that my dad may have offended but we're grassroots through and through. Thanks to everyone who helped me have this amazing year, I'm not going to mention names (CC) because this is already to long lol.

Mark J MacDonald

December 24, 2010



Great post, Mark! You are a true gentleman (cool shout-out to Casie) and I also think you have wisely and gently planted seeds for future year votes. PEI and Canada are very proud to have watched you develop into one of the planet's premier harness racing drivers; Many Happy Returns in 2011!




Mark MacDonald driving Western Silk to victory in the Jugette (including Mark MacDonald interviews after first heat and after final heat win).

Leafs "C" Dion Phaneuf endorses PEI harness racing

In an interview with Dan Loiselle at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, the Maple Leafs new captain had nothing but praise for PEI's vibrant and growing standardbred breeding and racing industry.

Phaneuf said that he spends a good deal of his offseason on PEI, and that means time at some of the harness racing industry's most historic locations.

"I go to the races quite a bit actually there (PEI) with my grandfather when he's back on the island," explained Phaneuf, who also stated that he has attended the heralded Gold Cup and Saucer.

"It's a fun night out to see them (the horses) race. I go to both tracks there, Summerside and Charlottetown. I've been to the big races there, too. They do a great job down there. They have a good track in Charlottetown. There's good racing down there."


Link to Standardbred Canada article on Dion Phaneuf and harness racing


Prince Edward Island links:

New Glasgow PEI Lobster Suppers

CDP Horse Racing / Red Shores Casino PEI

Summerside Raceway PEI

Aiden's Deep Sea PEI Fishing Charters

Cavendish Beach PEI

Family Vacation in PEI; Ready to Rock and Roll!

My family is from the Maritimes (mom from NB, dad from PEI) and we're having the Trainor Family Reunion in Charlottetown PE from August 5th to August 8th. We had 2 reunions back in 1989 and 1967 so you can see this is a fairly big event for my family!

Too bad I won't be there for the Gold Cup and Saucer, as it is one of my 2 favourite (NA Cup) races in the entire world!

Please visit my other blogs regularly and don't hesitate to support my sponsors (eg click on ads) so that we can pay for this trip!!!

A Green Realtor Websites Blog

Wind Energy Investments Links

Geothermal Energy Investing

Photovoltaic Solar Power Stocks

Wind Energy Companies to Watch

Tidal Energy, Wavepower, Water Purification Stocks

Joe College Punk Politics Ecology Blog


Peace 2 All,

Joe College

Shadow Play works out in 1.53.4 at CDP, ships East

Doc Moore has Shadow Play Ready To Roll

After setting a track record of 1.55 on his home training oval earlier in the week, Shadow Play paced a mile in front of a large crowd at the Charlottetown Driving Park yesterday afternoon. Stopping the teletimer at 1.53.4 on his own, Shadow looks ready begin the prep races in Ontario (against sharp, tough horses like Ramegade Bruiser)required to get him ready for the likes of Mister Big, Dali, Art Official and other contenders in the major pacing stakes races for aged horses in 2009.

Shadow Play to get Hero’s Welcome Saturday at Charlottetown Driving Park

Shadow Play, a son of The Panderosa out of Matts Filly by Matts Scooter, is scheduled to arrive back home in P.E.I. this week. He'll get the winter off before returning to racing in 2009 to face Art Official and all the older horses. Shadow Play is set to stand at stud for Blue Chip Farms in 2010, and Maritimes harness racing fans will be cheering him on big time next year.

The brilliant colt is trained by Dr. Ian Moore of Winsloe, and owned by PEI's Doc Moore, Quebec's Serge Savard and the RG Group (Ron and Gail McLellan) of New Brunswick. Shadow Play is expected to stand for Blue Chip in the USA and in either Australia or New Zealand. Even racing there isn't out of the question.

"I would love to come for a visit ‘Down Under. Your industry is very progressive and a lot of your horses compete well up here. It's something I have always wanted to do," said PEI's Moore.

Regarding his highly anticipated return to Prince Edward island, his trainer was looking forward to the appreciation.

"We will be taking him home on Tuesday in his newly bought trailer and the Charlottetown Driving Park is holding a ‘Shadow Play day' on Saturday afternoon. We are pitching in with some purse money and giveaways. It should be a great day," Dr Moore said.












Full story on Shadow Play's return to Charlottetown PEI on HarnessLink.com

Charlottetown Driving Park official website

Shadow Play to race in 2009, stand at Blue Chip Farms in 2010 - The Guardian