Driver Doug McNair made the most of his 5,000th career driving victory on Monday, Jan. 19 at Woodbine Mohawk Park, leading every step of the way in the milestone mile aboard the Kyle Fellows-trained Wicked Express.

Entering the evening just two wins away from the milestone, McNair took the third race on the program in a front-end romp with Volcanic ($7.10, 1:57.3) driving for his father, Gregg, before taking a seat behind Wicked Express, who was tabbed as the 1-5 favourite in the ninth race conditioned claiming pace.

Leaving from post five in the scratched-down field of five, McNair had the plugs popped and pointed Wicked Express to the point off the wings, grabbing control of the field through a :28.2 opening panel. McNair tapped the brakes to the half in :58.2 before reaching three-quarters in 1:27.3 with Jimmy Whispers (Jody Jamieson) taking a peek from the pocket turning for home. 

Wicked Express cut the corner sharply and built a two-length advantage midway through the lane with Jimmy Whispers and Belmont Blazer (Travis Cullen) battling for the place spot. Wicked Express coasted from there to reach the wire 1-1/4-lengths clear of Jimmy Whispers and Belmont Blazer to stop the clock in 1:57.

A resident of Guelph, Ont., McNair has ranked among Canada’s very best since launching his career in 2008. He reached 1,000 career wins in December of 2010, becoming the-then youngest driver in harness racing to reach the milestone. For the 2017 season, McNair was named Canada’s Driver of the Year at the O’Brien Awards, while in 2018 and 2022, he won the National Driving Championship.

The 36-year-old reinsman has never had a season in the sulky with fewer than 100 victories and seven-figures in seasonal earnings. McNair enjoyed a career year in driving victories in 2010, racking up 518 trips to the winner's circle that year. From an earnings perspective, McNair put up a banner year in 2024 with $7,253,457 earned by his steers. 

McNair has won multiple Breeders Crown events, including one this past October at Mohawk with The Last Martini. He finished the 2025 campaign with 258 wins and $6.8 million in earnings to mark his 12th season with over $5 million in seasonal earnings. McNair is now quickly closing in on the $100 million plateau in career driving earnings, with currently $95 million earned at the beginning of 2026. 

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

(Standardbred Canada with files from Woodbine Mohawk Park)