The best place for a horseperson to celebrate a birthday has to be in the winner's circle. Getting there with an upset in a series final is just the icing on the cake.

We didn't ask birthday boy Redmond Doucet if there was cake or icing after his thrilling drive aboard Big Boy Hill in the $3,500 Celtic Financial Series Final at Northside Downs on Saturday, Sept. 27, but there certainly was reason to celebrate his win after starting from the second tier.

Sidekick (Carey Romeo) and Boys Turn (Larry Snow) traded blows through the first three fractions in the Celtic Financial Series final, pacing as a tandem on top through fractions of :28.2 and :58.4 before taking the field down the backside. The eight pacers were stacked up four in and four out until Redmond Doucet tipped three-wide with third-over Big Boy Hill approaching the third quarter. As Boys Turn cleared Sidekick through the 1:29.4 third station, Big Boy Hill had on his big boy pants and marched confidently to the lead around the far turn. He straightened up in the stretch to pull away and win by 4-1/2 lengths over Boys turn in 1:59.4. Wenitrainsitpours, who started to the inside of Big Boy Hill for Mark Pezzarello in the second tier, edged out favoured Dont Ask Logan (Keigan Madden) for the show spot.

Owned and trained by Joseph Nearing of Howie Center, N.S., Big Boy Hill (Bettors Delight - Pretty Katherine) picked up his 28th career victory and edged his lifetime earnings closer to the six figure mark at $98,325. He returned $19.30 to his win supporters.

Harry Holmes ($7) prevailed in the $2,000 Celtic Financial Series Consolation, winning by a quarter length over Joes Dream Walking (Doucet) in 2:02.4 for owner-trainer-driver Larry Snow and co-owner Henry Poswiata of Sydney, N.S.

Red Rum She Wrote ($3) and Martin Bates dictated the terms on the front end en route to victory in a $1,200 mares match race against Kiss Me Im Irish (Pezzarello), winning by nearly five lengths.

The time of 1:57.2 was just three ticks off her lifetime mark, taken as a four-year-old at Northside. Bates trains and owns the eight-year-old daughter of Vintage Master - So Cute Hanover, now a 37-time winner with $39,970 in earnings.

Hugh Heff ($2.40) delivered as the 1-5 choice in the $1,700 Winners Over Pace, clearing to the lead for driver Randy Getto just before the first quarter and putting that race to bed from there. After splits of :28.4, 1:00.1 and 1:28.3, Hugh Heff came home in :29.1 to open up daylight on his closest rival — stablemate Dontblvmejustwatch — for the three-length tally. Dontblvmejustwatch (Pezzarello) and Pay Line (Roddy Gillis) completed the triactor ticket.

Now a 45-time career winner with 13 victories in 2025, Hugh Heff is trained by Dana Getto for owners Randy Getto of New Waterford, Susan MacSween of River Ryan and Wayne Hardy of Sydney, N.S. The five-year-old altered son of Betterthancheddar - Danika Patrix sports earnings of $118,575, returning $2.40 to win on this occasion.

To view the full results for the Saturday card of harness racing in Cape Breton, click the following link: Saturday Results - Northside Downs.

(Standardbred Canada)