by John Siscos, WEG Communications

Campbellville, ON — It was a fun and entertaining evening of racing at Mohawk on Saturday (Aug. 30). Ask any fan.

The Canadian Pacing Derby/Metro Pace card showcased many of the sport’s stars and featured a 66-1 longshot winner in the Canadian Pacing Derby, while the Jackpot Hi-5 was paid out on the final race.

Woodbine Entertainment Group also considers the 2014 event a stunning success, in record style.

A total of C$5,006,896 was wagered on the 12-race card, the highest handle figure ever recorded for one program at the 51-year-old Campbellville track. The previous mark was C$4,648,478 for the 2000 Breeders Crown card.

It was third highest handle ever recorded on the WEG Standardbred circuit, behind only 2002 Breeders Crown card (C$5.4 million) and 2001 Breeders Crown program (C$5.2 million), both conducted at Woodbine.

“We offered a terrific on-track event and a fantastic card, and we are extremely pleased with the record results,” said Jamie Martin, Executive Vice-President of Racing. “Customers enjoyed great music, excellent food and were entertained by the finest horses in the sport, including arguably the best 2-year-olds around, Artspeak and JK She’salady. Modern Legend added a dash of drama with his 66-1 upset in the Canadian Pacing Derby.”

The Jackpot Hi 5 continues to prove to be a hit with racing fans. The wager, which offered a carryover of C$647,331.71 and a mandatory payout, had a total pool of C$2,522,851 after C$1,875,520 was bet on Saturday evening. Each winning 20 cent ticket paid C$1,347.36 after Resistance Futile romped. The Jackpot Hi-5 requires horseplayers to select the first five finishers in exact order.

“The Jackpot Hi-5 certainly helped the card achieve record status, but without it, we were still up 30 percent over last year’s program,” said Martin.

The next major card at Mohawk features the C$682,000 Canadian Trotting Classic. It is slated for Sept. 13.