Driver 'Irish' Joe Hanney captured the St. Paddy's Day Pace on Saturday with 60-1 longshot Real Mystical from post eight at Freehold Raceway.

The race featured eight drivers of Irish descent and was sponsored by Peter and Mary Grandich of Freehold, New Jersey.

Twelve-year-old pacer Real Mystical, owned and trained by John Urbanski, overcame a 12-1/2 length deficit at the quarter-mile mark to score a half-length victory at the wire over Tulfra, driven by John Sheehan.

'Irish Joe' was reunited with two of his former countrymen, Anthony Haughan and Jonathan Dunne, along with Corey Callahan, George Brennan, John McDermott, John Sheehan and Jack Baggitt.

Live racing resumes at Freehold on Thursday with first race post time at 12:30 p.m.

(With files from Freehold Raceway)