Jack Boswall and driver Lewis MacDonnell closed out the 2025 harness racing season at Inverness Raceway with a victory in the Winners Over Pace on Sunday, Oct. 26.
MacDonnell capped off a driving hat trick and a sweep of the late Daily Double with Jack Boswall winning the afternoon's $2,000 featured finale in 1:58.1 for trainer Keith MacDonell, who co-owns the four-year-old gelding with Mark MacDonell of Port Hood and Blenise Young of Long Point, N.S.
Leaving from post two in the scratch-reduced field of five, Whats Up Doc and Zach Mullins charged into the turn with the lead over inside starter Jack Boswall and Lewis MacDonell, who second-guessed a pocket-popping move as they passed the quarter in :28.2. Shir Gain and Rodney Gillis then went first-up heading to the :58 half-mile mark with La Playa Deo and Andrew MacLean tracking second-over. Shir Gain gained a short lead outside of Whats Up Doc as they raced by three-quarters in 1:27.3, but Whats Up Doc fought back in the final turn. Meanwhile, Jack Boswall was locked and loaded and he managed to split rivals down the lane to get up just in time for the half-length victory. Whats Up Doc edged out Shir Gain for the runner-up honours.
A winner the last time he appeared at Inverness in this class on Aug. 6, Jack Boswall was the favourite and returned $2.80 to his backers at the betting windows while last week's winner, Windemere Best Man, was scratched sick. The multiple stakes-winning son of Tobago Cays-Someshoresomewhere has earned half of his 16 career wins this year while boosting his lifetime bankroll to $72,334.
Inverness Raceway hosted a retirement ceremony in the infield for 14-year-old pacer Makes Me Stupid prior to the season finale. The 40-time career winner made his last career start in the afternoon's second race, where he advanced first-over in rein to Rodney Gillis for a top three finish in the 2:01.3 mile led by Angus MacLean's mare JGSJumanji and driver Danny Gillis. The Art Official-Shes An Idiot gelding, who was a winner three times in 23 starts during his final campaign to bring his lifetime earnings to $98,356, has been trained by Mary MacQuarrie for the past year and co-owned by Max Webster Stable.
Danny Gillis's win with JGSJumanji was his 25th of the 2025 Inverness meet and tied the veteran horseman atop the local driver standings with 25-year-old Zach Mullins, who also claimed the training title with 20 victories from his own stable. Lewis MacDonell, who trained his two earlier Sunday winners, finished second in the stable standings with 17 victories at the meet and also tied Redmond Doucet for third-place in the driver standings, with each reinsmen guiding 20 winners. D.F. Beaton picked up a closing day win to bring his training total to 13 and round out the top three in that category.
Harness racing participants are welcome to attend a meeting at Inverness Raceway on Wednesday, Oct. 29 at 7 p.m. (ADT) to discuss plans for next season's 100th anniversary celebrations.
To view Sunday's harness racing results, click the following link: Sunday Results - Inverness Raceway.
(Standardbred Canada)