Postponed until the new year, the series finals of the Niagara and Valedictory were featured on Woodbine Mohawk's Park's first card of 2026 with Betterdoubledown and Get Wings winning those events on Friday, Jan. 2.

The finals, with female pacers featured in the Niagara and males competing in the Valedictory, were pushed a week later than originally scheduled after Mohawk's Boxing Day card was cancelled due to a winter storm. The winter series events, which began with opening rounds on Dec. 12 and 19, were for three-year-olds in 2025 that were non-winners of $60,000 lifetime as of Oct. 31.

Betterdoubledown prevented Kiki Dee Hanover from sweeping the Niagara Series as she took command from that rival midway through the mile and opened up 2-1/4 lengths to win the $33,000 final in 1:55.4 for driver Doug McNair and trainer Herb Holland.

Jody Jamieson hustled Kiki Dee Hanover to the front in a :28.3 opener after leaving from the far outside while Betterdoubledown landed in fourth before McNair made the winning move up the backstretch. On the point by the half in :59, Betterdoubledown turned back a first-over challenge from Who Are You and Mike Whelan past three-quarters in 1:27 and finished strong to take the series title. Kiki Dee Hanover gave chase from the pocket late in the lane but had to settle for second this time out while Who Are You faded to third.

A runner-up in the opening leg of the Niagara and a winner during round two, Betterdoubledown was the 7-2 second choice in the final and paid $7.30 to win.

The Bettors Delight-Ready Set Roll mare, who put together a 4-6-1 summary from 23 starts while earning just over $70,000 in her debut season last year, is owned by McKinlay & Fielding of Gravenhurst, Ont., and Milena Kwiecien of Burlington, Ont.

Jamieson later parlayed a pocket trip into a Valedictory victory as Get Wings completed a sweep of that series as the heavy 1-5 favourite, gliding away from the competition to win the $34,200 final in 1:54 for the Paul MacKenzie stable.

Get Wings launched to the lead from post six ahead of longshot leaver Major Threat and Daryl Thiessen into a :27.2 first quarter before giving way to the oncoming 7-2 second choice, Rbstenacious T, driven by Travis Cullen. Get Wings followed the new leader through middle splits of :56.3 and 1:25.3 before flying home in :28.1 to win by a widening 3-3/4 lengths. 

Get Wings paid $2.70 to win. Major Threat finished second as the longest shot on the board at odds of 136-1 while a first-up The Tulsa King and Todd Ratchford rounded out the top three nearly 10 lengths in arrears.

Get Wings, who was winless in eight freshman starts and completed his sophomore season with seven victories in 15 races, pushed his career earnings over $86,000. A son of Bettors Wish and The Captains Angel, Get Wings is owned by Gary Ford of Stratford, P.E.I., and Janet Kinney of Wheatley River, P.E.I. 

McNair and Jamieson also picked up wins in a Pop-Up Series that began with $15,000 divisions for male pacers that were non-winners of $30,000 or not averaging $1,250 per start in a minimum of 10 starts in 2025.

The Des Tackoor trainee Easily The Best ($4.10) and Jamieson bested the McNair-driven Howmac Charmer by a head in a 1:55 mile in the first division while McNair guided Bronx Drifter ($3.80) to a 1:54.4 victory by 1-3/4 lengths over Instantaneous and Jamieson in the second split for conditioner Garry Merner. Jamieson struck again in the third Pop-Up division with late-closer Southwind Infusion ($5.90) scoring in 1:54.3 by more than four lengths for trainer Ashley Lendvoy.

To view Friday's harness racing results, click the following link: Friday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.

(Standardbred Canada; photo of Get Wings winning on Jan. 2)