A pocket trip couldn't haul down stablemate Bruno No No No one week ago, but a pocket trip was the winning strategy for Its Saturday Night in the $30,000 second leg of the New Holland Pacing Series on Saturday, March 28 at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
Its Saturday Night got away in the pocket once again, but this time around the pocket trip came courtesy a revved-up Blue Hunt (Travis Cullen) through fractions of :27.1, :55 and 1:22.3. Just before that third station, driver Louis-Philippe Roy inched Its Saturday Night from the pocket to take aim at the tempo-setter turning for home.
In the stretch, Blue Hunt braced for the fresh threat emerging from the pocket. Favoured Bruno No No No got his cue from driver Doug McNair to fan out into the three path for clear sailing, and the first leg winner took dead aim at the front pair. Nearly three across in the final strides, Its Saturday Night collared Blue Hunt and held off a late lunge from Bruno No No No to win by a neck in 1:50 — the fastest mile on Canadian soil this year. Blue Hunt finished third, 1-1/4 lengths back.
Trained by David Menary, five-year-old Its Saturday Night (Always B Miki - Night Music) posted his fifth win of the season to lift his seasonal summary to 5-3-1 in 10 starts with $130,500 in earnings. Pollack Racing LLC of Venetia, Pa. owns the gelding, who returned $6.80 to win as the 3-1 second choice.
The $60,000 finals of the New Holland Pacing and Trotting Series go postward on Saturday, April 4.
The pocket trip also clicked for Roy in the $30,000 Four-Year-Old Open Pace as Get Wings flew home for the 1:52.2 score.
In a very similar race to the New Holland leg, Roy sat the pocket behind a Travis Cullen-driven pacer. This time, Rbstenacious T delivered fractions of :27.4, :56.3 and 1:24.1 with 8-5 second choice Get Wings on his back. Favoured SOS Sports Bet (McNair) forced Get Wings out of the pocket before the third station. By midstretch, Get Wings disposed of Rbstenacious T and held off the rest of his rivals for the 1-1/2 length tally. SOS Sports Bet just nosed out Blazing Cruiser (Tyler Borth) for the place position.
Get Wings (Bettors Wish - The Captains Angel) picked up his 10th career win and third this year for trainer Paul MacKenzie and P.E.I.-based owners Gary Ford of Stratford and Janet Kinney of Wheatley River. His bankroll lifted to $136,015 with the lion's share of the purse added. He paid $5.30 to win.
Headed in the stretch by The Magic Moment, Stormalong ($5.40) battled back for driver Brett MacDonald to best his nine rivals in the $30,000 Pop-Up Series final in 1:53. Trained by Ron MacDonald, Stormalong (Stay Hungry - Cut A Deal) notched his 15th career victory and fourth in a row for his driver, Katie Remmerswaal of Freelton, Ont., Shen Guo of Waterloo, Ont. and Brent MacLennan of Charlottetown, P.E.I. The series was for starters for a purse of $11,000 or less in 2026 (winners of more than $120,000 in 2025 not eligible).
While not victorious on Saturday, the return to action for driver Mark MacDonald was triumphant in its own right. The two-time O'Brien Award competed for the first time since last October, delivering on his commitment to drive in Canada this year after battling back from a serious health scare last fall.
"It was great," MacDonald told Trot Insider after the card. "I mean, I had a lot of pickups which I was very pleased to get and would have loved to win a few but I’m just happy to get around all the guys again and be back at Mohawk and back working. It was a lot of fun back at Mohawk with a lot of my friends. The wins will come, I really was just happy to be back out there."
For the full results from Saturday's card of harness racing in Campbellville, click the following link: Saturday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.
(Standardbred Canada)