Chip Happened crushed his $6,600 Preferred 3 Trot rivals to tie the aged trotting track record at Hiawatha Horse Park on Saturday, Sept. 5.
The five-year-old gelding followed an early fracas between The Great Reset (Lorne House) and April Duford (Robert Doyle), racing third past a :27.1 quarter until April Duford proceeded to clear coming off the first turn. Donnie Rankin swung Chip Happened to the front at that point and oversaw consecutive :29 quarters as the son of Lookslikeachpndale-A Promise Made edged away slightly through a :56.1 half and 1:25.1 three-quarters. A :29.3 kicker carried Chip Happened 11-1/2 lengths clear of April Duford as the gelding powered to the line and stopped the timer in 1:54.4. April Duford held second from the rallying Teasin (Natasha Day).
The time tied the standard for an older trotting gelding, previously established by Royal Beluga in June, which is also the overall aged trot record.
Chip Happened followed his dominant score in the Thibaudeau Trot at Hanover Raceway on Aug. 29 with a lifetime-best victory on Saturday for trainer Jim McKague of Wroxter, Ont., who co-owns and co-bred him with Jan McKague Weishar of Teeswater, Ont. The gelding is three-for-20 this season and 16-for-70 lifetime with a bankroll of $116,773. He returned $4.10 at the windows.
To view Saturday’s harness racing results, click the following link: Saturday Results - Hiawatha Horse Park.
(Standardbred Canada; photo of Chip Happened winning on July 25, 2025)