Mystician made a three-wide brush down the backstretch before opening up daylight on the field of three-year-old Ontario-sired pacing colts to capture the $500,000 Upper Canada Cup and join harness racing's millionaire's club at Georgian Downs on Saturday night

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In the evening’s feature event, Mach It Big (Doug McNair) took over the lead from Grand Master (Luc Ouellette) en route to the opening quarter in :26.1 while Mystician and driver Jody Jamieson got away fifth from a Post 4 start.

Moving in front of the grandstand, Machal Jackson (J.R. Plante) advanced first over from third and applied pressure to the leader to the half in :54.4 with Some Mach Some Win (Scott Zeron) and Mystician following to the outside.

As the field raced down the backstretch, Jamieson angled the 6-5 favourite three-wide. The duo swept to command and opened up multiple lengths on the field past three-quarters in 1:22.2. Mystician laid it on thick as he sprinted away to a six and three-quarter length victory in a career-best time of 1:50.2. 47-1 Machal Jackson finished back in second and 46-1 Live And Learn (Billy Davis, Jr.) was third.

Mystician paid $4.50 to win. The son of Camluck-Mystic Mistress is trained by Jeff Gillis, who co-owns with Ken Henwood of Mississauga, Mac Nichol of Burlington, Ont. and Gerald Stay of Buffalo, New York. Last year’s Metro Pace champion finished third by half a length after making a break in his elimination last weekend, his season’s debut. The win was his sixth in 14 career starts and pushed his bankroll to $1,061,670.

Mystician is being pointed to the Pepsi North America Cup and has been assessed as the 22-1 eighth choice in Trot Magazine’s 2011 Spring Book.

The $50,000 Upper Canada Cup consolation went to Watermelonwine, who advanced to the lead from fourth after the opening quarter and cruised to a dazzling career-best 1:49.4 victory for driver Rick Zeron, trainer David Menary and owner Brad Gray of Dundas, Ont. The Life Sign-Arukiddinme colt, who finished fourth in his elimination, prevailed by one and three-quarter lengths over pocket-sitter Cam B Zipper (Jamieson) and Mach Wheel (Joe Hudon Jr.).

The time of the mile lowered Keystone Horatio's three-year-old track record by three-fifths of a second as well as Eagle Luck's Canadian record for three-year-olds on a five-eighths mile track, by one-fifth of a second.

Saturday's Upper Canada Cup undercard stakes featured a pair of Honourable Earl Rowe Memorial Cup divisions.

Five-year-old trotter All Cantab was a gate-to-wire winner in the $109,750 gold division while four-year-old gelding Kashs Caviar went all the to win the $59,750 silver division.

Driver Trevor Ritchie sent Blair Burgess trainee All Cantab to command in the gold edition from Post 1 and the son of Cantab Hall-All Mixed Up carved out fractions of :26.4, :56.3 and 1:24.3 before stopping the clock in 1:53.4 with three-quarters of a length to spare. The time of the mile shaved one-fifth of a second off his lifetime mark. Second over Triumphant Caviar (Luc Ouellette) came three-wide past three-quarters to grab second and pocket-sitter Rose Run Hooligan (Scott Zeron) finished one and a half lengths behind in third.

With Arthur J. Cutler Memorial champion Slave Dream scratched, Enough Talk (Mario Baillargeon) was the bettor’s choice, but after attempting a first over challenge, he faded to eighth.

All Cantab paid $9.70 to win as the 7-2 fourth choice. The victory was his first in two starts this year and ninth overall, pushing his bankroll to $247,963 for owners Robert Burgess of Campbellville, Karin Olsson Burgess of Milton and the Champagne Stable of Toronto, Ont.

In the silver division, Kashs Caviar and Luc Ouellette left from Post 5 and led the field past stations of :26.4, :55.4 and 1:24.4 en route to a career-best 1:54.2 triumph. Aisling (Ritchie) rallied off cover to place, one and quarter lengths behind, and trotting mare Yursa Hanover (Baillargeon) finished third after making a break from the pocket. Favourite Ill Villaggio (Jamieson) also tried a first over trip, but only made it within one length of the leader by three-quarters before fading to sixth.

Kashs Caviar paid $12.90 to win as the 5-1 third choice. The four-year-old son of Sjs Caviar-Ocala Kash, now three-for-11 this year with $76,575 banked, is trained by Ben Baillargeon for Slaughter Racing Stable LLC of Prospect, Kentucky and Wayne T Zollars of Mt. Vernon, Ohio. His eighth career win leaves him just shy of the $200,000 earnings mark.

The Friendship Pacing Series also continued on Saturday with Scott Coulter driving winners Panda Bear and Hilarious Halo in the two $12,000 divisions.

Panda Bear rallied home to edge out favourite Donegald Gerald for the 1:53 victory, his second in three series starts, for trainer Carmen Auciello, and owners Rocco Auciello of Stouffville and Antonio Tangreda of Kettleby, Ont.

Favourite Hilarious Halo, who front-stepped his way to a 1:51.1 victory, is now three-for-three in series after being scratched from one leg due to sickness, for trainer Brad Shakes, and owners Dan Mogridge of Hillsdale and Jeffery Oborne of Jordan Station, Ont.

For results from Saturday's harness racing card, click on the following link: Saturday Results - Georgian Downs.