When trainer Marcus Melander entered the 2019 Hambletonian final with a powerhouse trio, it was Canadian contender Forbidden Trade who played the role of spoiler — shocking the field at odds of 15-1 to win harness racing’s most prestigious trotting event.

Now, six years later, Melander returns with an even deeper hand: a quartet of starters, headlined by a pair many believe to be the top contenders, Super Chapter and Maryland, as he aims to finally capture his first Hambletonian crown.

But history has a way of repeating itself.

Once again, Forbidden Trade's trainer Luc Blais is back in the big dance — this time with Emoticon Legacy, who will look to play the spoiler’s role once more in a field loaded with talent.

Fresh off a hard-fought elimination win that preserved his perfect 2025 record, driver Louis-Philippe Roy is preparing for his first-ever Hambletonian appearance. Trot Insider caught up with the Quebec native to get his thoughts as he gears up to chase history aboard the Determination homebred.

“I haven’t thought about that aspect of it and I don’t think Luc has either,” admitted Roy, when asked if he sees parallels to Blais’ 2019 upset. “I know a lot of people are talking about Super Chapter and Maryland being the ones to beat come Saturday, and they deserve that recognition, but this is the type of race [the Hambletonian] that Luc has his horses peaked for.

“There are things you can’t control on race day and that’s something many of us obviously know. But I’m heading into that race with a little more confidence, with the expectation that my colt is going to be a little bit better.”

Better is exactly what Emoticon Legacy will need to be if he’s to capture the million-dollar Grade 1 final. While the son of Walner-Emoticon Hanover did get the job done in his elimination to stay perfect in four starts this year, it was by a narrow margin, and many expected a more comfortable performance, especially as the even-money favourite.

“Both Luc and I felt like his hopples were a little bit tighter than usual [in that race]” explained Roy, reflecting on Emoticon Legacy’s elimination win. “They were the same length they’ve always been, but the track surface might’ve had a bit of an impact in that aspect, and I think it made him a little bit tired as a result.”

In a post-race interview with Standardbred Canada’s John Rallis, Roy also noted that he was racing with a new bike, which — along with the slightly tighter hopples — may have disrupted the colt’s gait just enough to make a difference. 

“I’m going to stick with the new bike, because we don’t want to make too many changes going into the final,” stated Roy. “We’re happy we got a start over that track surface and we’re confident we’ll be better off in the second go-around because of it. Like I said, we’ll give him more room with his hopples, and Luc and I have also discussed the idea of going with a faster shoe. He’s got comfy ones on now, but they’re a bit slower... There’s still room for improvement — and that’s something that really excites us.”

Something else that excites Roy is the possibility of crossing the finish line first in this historic 100th edition of the Hambletonian -— an achievement that, several years ago, wasn’t close to the top of his bucket list.

“I grew up a pacer guy,” admitted Roy. “Where I’m from, we never had trotters, so the Hambletonian wasn’t even something I paid much attention to. It wasn’t really on my radar. But the more I got into racing and driving horses, the more my love for trotters grew. If you asked me now whether I’d rather drive or own a pacer or a trotter, I’d go with a trotter.

“I don’t have any old memories that stand out to me regarding The Hambletonian… before I moved here [to Ontario], I didn’t even know what that race was, or the importance of it.”

With the very first edition of the Hambletonian captured by Canadian-born driver Guy McKinney, Roy is hoping to create a milestone of his own in the 100th — aiming to become the next Canadian-born reinsman to etch his name into the history books of this prestigious trotting event.

“It would be an incredible honour,” he said with a smile. “This is like the Stanley Cup of harness racing. Whenever a Canadian team has a chance to win a Cup, it’s a proud feeling — so to be able to share that moment with Luc [Blais] would be very special.”

Special is one way to describe the relationship between Blais and Roy. The two have been working in sync for a few years now, developing a bond that continues to strengthen. And just like their partnership, they’re hoping Emoticon Legacy shows even more growth come Saturday and adds to his impressive eight wins in 11 starts to date with earnings exceeding $625,000.

“Luc is a great trainer,” stated Roy. “He does things his own way, and after working together for a few years now, we know one another better and better and our familiarity is a lot stronger now. We both have the same philosophy in terms of how to get horses peaked for big efforts in big moments and we’re hoping for that come this Saturday.”

With an anticipation looming ahead of arguably harness racing’s greatest day of racing, the Campbellville, Ont. resident isn’t trying to get too caught up in the excitement.

“I already know the horses I’m competing against so there’s not much more I have to prepare for in terms of that. I’m sure I’ll be a little anxious come Saturday, but I’m excited at the opportunity to make history."

Racing begins at 12 noon on Saturday at The Meadowlands. The Hambletonian Oaks is race 10, with a post time of 3:37 p.m., and the Hambletonian is race 12, with a post time of 4:47 p.m. Coverage of Hambletonian Day will air on FOX Sports from 3-6 p.m.

For free program pages for Saturday's card at The Meadowlands, click here.

(Standardbred Canada)