Neil MacInnis has some unfinished business that he is hoping can be resolved this upcoming weekend.
In 2020, MacInnis spoke to Trot Insider about how important that year’s Gold Cup and Saucer was to him after the tragic and sudden loss of his wife, Sarah. Now two years later, MacInnis has another chance to capture the coveted Gold Cup and Saucer title with Rhodena Road, who was bred by his late wife. Strangely enough, Rhodena Road was along for the ride two years ago and it has seemed to come full circle.
“When I took a shot at the Gold Cup and Saucer with Yankee Osborne in 2020, Rhodena Road came down for the drive as a two-year-old,” MacInnis told Trot Insider. “It didn’t occur to me at the time that he would be the one coming for the unfinished business we have.”
MacInnis sold Rhodena Road to the Klis Brothers Stable, and it was a tough decision for him to do so, but he is grateful for the opportunity they have given him to race the pacer in one of Canada’s most sought-after races.
“I had to sell him last year to the Klis brothers in New York,” explained the Nova Scotia native. “He’s been racing really well at Yonkers and we talked in the spring about them letting me have him for the Gold Cup and Saucer. I didn’t want to sell him. I’m a high school teacher and I’m a part-time horse racer on my little farm [in Mono, Ont.]. I can’t keep them all but he’s going to be coming back after his racing career is over to be a horse for [my daughter] Rory. I have to give a lot of credit to Joe & Tony Klis. You couldn’t find two nicer people and they’ve become family.”
Neil MacInnis and daughter Rory taking Rhodena Road for a swim on the East Coast.
Rhodena Road qualified for Saturday’s $100,000 final of the Gold Cup and Saucer by finishing third in Monday evening’s trial. He only finished 1-1/2 lengths behind the race’s winner, Patrikthepiranha A. MacInnis feels his horse raced well and is still very much confident heading into the final.
“In my view, he had one of the best miles in any of the trials. He was first-up before the quarter and cleared up the backstretch in a 55-second half. It takes an amazing horse to be able to do that and he never quits.”
The four-year-old son of Ponder out of the Camluck mare MC Taylor has been racing at Yonkers Raceway and has been doing well. He’s made 20 starts and has earned more than $48,000 so far this year. Rhodena Road has only won twice this year, but his latest win was a huge upset where he won at 47-1 odds and earned a new lifetime mark of 1:51.4 in the process. MacInnis describes Rhodena Road as “sneaky” as he’s been able to race well against some top horses.
Having the opportunity to potentially win the biggest race in Atlantic Canada is magnified by the other factors circling around. MacInnis considers Operation Gold Cup and Saucer a full family endeavour as the horseman thinks of the horse as a part of his family.
“It’s a very emotional thing for me and my daughter Rory because of the connection to my wife,” said MacInnis. “Rory is in the barn almost more than I am and she is only turning seven. She’s very involved in what we do. My daughter was there when he was born. She’s been with him since he was a baby. She’s been a very big part of his life. Both my brother, Ross, and I make the decisions together. Rory is very much involved in his everyday care. He’s named after the road that my grandmother was born on back in Cape Breton. She had asked me to name a horse after the place of her birth. He’s always been a special horse to my wife. The last time I had to take my wife to the hospital, he smashed through one of the gates to get to her. He’s always been a part of the family. Wherever we go, ‘Harry’ is always with us.”
Rhodena Road is known as ‘Harry’ around the barn and there is a personal story attached to how that nickname came about.
“His nickname has always been ‘Harry,’” explained MacInnis. “When MC Taylor was in foal, my wife was trying to watch the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Right as they were walking down the aisle, she had to run out to the barn to help with the birthing.”
Rhodena Road, who will be driven by Brett MacDonald, drew post position six in the 63rd edition of the Gold Cup and Saucer and will be looking to take care of business for the MacInnis family.
“For every Maritime horseperson, it's within their imagination, that it is five minutes to midnight, and the lights are just about to be turned off, and their horse is about to enter the track for the post parade and introduction, and they can have that quiet moment for themselves.”
MacInnis will have his moment on Saturday when the Red Shores double-header reaches the pinnacle of Old Home Week. The early card starts at 1 p.m. Atlantic at Charlottetown Driving Park followed by the 7 p.m. evening program.
To view Saturday’s harness racing entries, click on the following link: Saturday Entries - Charlottetown Driving Park.
(A Trot Insider exclusive by Trey Colbeck)