With five of seven entrants in the $44,000 Open Pace converging at the wire, Its Saturday Night showed his guts off a first-over move to prevail by a nose in the Saturday, Oct. 31 feature at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Louis-Philippe Roy seated Its Saturday Night fourth while Fusion (Mark MacDonald), shooting for an Open threepeat, worked his way to control in a :26.1 opening panel. Fished out by Dalton Shard N (Tyler Borth) down the back, Its Saturday Night began to march as the field neared the half in :54.4, and he pulled abreast of the leader racing through the far turn. 

The top two sprinted past three-quarters in 1:22.3 with Dalton Shard N looming on cover, Jordy N (J.R. Plante) winding up off his back and Dublin Dasher (Travis Cullen) awaiting room at the cones. Its Saturday Night and Fusion clashed nose-to-nose down the lane as the three chasers reeled them in, leading to a five-across lunge for the line. Its Saturday Night eclipsed Fusion in the final strides and kept his nose in front of Dalton Shard N at the line for a 1:49.3 triumph. Jordy N missed by a neck, taking third over Fusion, while Dublin Dasher was a half-length off in fifth.

In his fifth start since his return from a four-and-a-half-month layoff on Oct. 3, Its Saturday Night notched his first Open win since March and bolstered his seasonal record to six-for-19. The five-year-old son of Always B Miki-Night Music is now 17-for-72 lifetime with $612,151 in earnings. Dave Menary trains him for owner Pollack Racing LLC of Venetia, Pa. He paid $5 to win.

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

(Standardbred Canada)