Its Saturday Night controlled the tempo and captured the Saturday $40,000 Open Pace for the second time in the last three weeks at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Feb. 21.
Dublin Dasher was the widest of four early leavers and sprinted to the front entering the first turn at the behest of Travis Cullen. Louis-Philippe Roy remained patient with Its Saturday Night, allowing that rival to his outside to be first to command and remaining parked-out to the quarter in :26.2 as he worked his charge to the top.
Its Saturday Night operated on an uncontested lead through the half in :56 and to five-eighths, where Taurasi (Doug McNair) slipped out of third and marched first-up to three-quarters in 1:25.2. The pacesetter went into a sprint coming into the stretch, repelling Taurasi and holding off the pocket-sitting Dublin Dasher by a half-length in 1:51.3. Pacino Hanover (Ed Hensley) finished third.
The win for Its Saturday Night was his third this season in seven Open starts for trainer Dave Menary. The five-year-old, owned by Pollack Racing LLC of Venetia, Pa., joined the Menary barn at the end of 2025 and stepped up to the top rank to start his current campaign. He is now 14-for-60 lifetime with a bankroll of $514,316. His backers received $2.60.
Rbstenacious T starred earlier on the night as the Jodie Cullen-trained stallion scored his sixth consecutive victory with a front-end effort in an optional-claiming event with a purse of $22,000. Travis Cullen dropped the four-year-old into the pocket to the quarter in :27.2, then circled him to the engine and rated him to middle-half splits of :57 and 1:26.2. They all chased the Snowshoe Series winner down the lane, but he extended his margin to 2-3/4 lengths with a :26.1 kicker as he completed the mile in 1:52.3. Trinidad (Roy) was second-best, followed by Arthur Idlam (Trevor Henry).
The winner has tallied six times in seven outings in 2026 and is tied with Ys Do It Right for the status of winningest horse in North America this season. Rbstenacious T, a son of Freaky Feet Pete-Aunt Marlene, is owned by Ron and Travis Cullen of Dundas, Ont. and Deborah McLeod of Edmonton, Alta. He is now 11-for-26 lifetime with $112,222 in earnings. The win price was $2.50.
To view Saturday’s harness racing results, click the following link: Saturday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.
(Standardbred Canada; photo of Its Saturday Night winning on Jan. 10)