Driver Colin Kelly replicated his five-win performance from Friday night with another quintet of victories on the Saturday, Jan. 17 card at The Meadowlands, including the $24,306 high-end conditioned pace.
The 32-year-old pilot’s feature win came in the eighth race, when Bettors Donttell took down 3-5 favourite American Dealer N in 1:50.4 after working out an ideal second-over trip.
“He seems to like having a target in front of him,” said Kelly after scoring in the feature with the eight-year-old gelded son of Bettors Delight-Donttellruss. “He’s really fast. He likes to chase and he can make a big run. American Dealer N is a really nice horse. He’s so quick. We just got really lucky that Brett [Beckwith, driving American Dealer N] got backed up [along the inside].”
American Dealer N got a pocket trip behind South Beach Star (Jonathan Ahle), who took over past the quarter in :27.2 and led through :55.4 and 1:23.4 middle fractions. Bettors Donttell, second-over into the final turn, swept three-wide and charged to the front in mid-stretch. American Dealer N appeared to have enough time to take down the eventual winner but came up short after getting outpaced late by Master Charles A (Steve Smith) for second. Bettors Donttell held on by a neck.
A Mark Capone trainee, Bettors Donttell returned $15.40 to win as the 6-1 third choice in the betting. He’s now won 30 of 141 career outings and banked $566,980. The gelding is owned by Joshua M. Kinney.
Kelly, who won five races Friday night, ended up with a second consecutive five-score evening after also piloting Beat Cop ($8.40 in the second race), Caviart Camden ($31.60 in the sixth), Sun Of A Show ($23.60 in the ninth) and National Sport ($3.40 in the 13th) to walks down victory lane.
Kelly became the first driver in 2026 to win 10 times over a two-card week, equalling what only Mark Herschberger accomplished during 2025.
“I’m just very lucky,” said Kelly. “I’ve got some good horses for some good trainers. I’m in the right place at the right time. You are only as good as what’s in between the shafts, and I’m very fortunate that way.”
The Nova Scotia native is 17-for-76 this season for a win rate of 22.4 per cent.
DeShawn Sample worked out a perfect pocket trip and guided American Mercury to victory in the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Remembrance Race, a dash that honoured the slain civil rights leader.
“The horse seemed like he needed a trip, and it worked out,” said Sample. “At the top of the stretch I was very confident. The trainer [Michael Posner] told me just sit with him and move him out, and he’ll take off.”
American Mercury ($7.80) prevailed by a half-length in 1:55.3 over the closing Half Past Midnight (Mark Sheridan). Bolt The Court (Brandon Cruse) was third.
Sample has now won this event two years in a row, but being a part of a race where all of the drivers were African-American, honouring Dr. King, was something special not only to him, but to the other seven pilots in the race as well.
“It means a lot to the black drivers to come up here, especially to drive at The Meadowlands, it’s the big time,” said Sample.
There were no winning tickets sold on the 20-cent Pick-6, creating a carryover of $4,272 for when racing resumes. Those with five correct collected $356.02. All-source betting on the program totalled $2,625,852.
Bill MacKenzie led the trainers on the card with a pair of victories.
Due to an expected snow event, the Sunday race card at The Big M was cancelled. Racing resumes on Friday at 6:20 p.m.
(With files from The Meadowlands; photo of Bettors Donttell winning on Jan. 17)