Record-setting evening at Mohawk Racetrack

Betting Line’s stakes-record equaling victory in the $1 million Pepsi North America Cup highlighted a harness racing record-setting evening last Saturday at Mohawk Racetrack.

A total of $5,241,459 was wagered on Saturday’s 15 race card to set a new Pepsi North America card record and a new Mohawk Racetrack single-card handle record.

Saturday’s wagering total is the highest single-card handle figure in the 53 year history of Mohawk Racetrack. The previous record was $5,006,896 wagered on the 2014 Canadian Pacing Derby and Metro Pace card.

For the second year in a row, the Pepsi North America Cup handle record was broken. The 2015 edition saw a total of $4.2 million wagered to break the previous record of $3.8 million in 2005.

“It was a truly special, record shattering night for the Pepsi North America Cup Saturday evening at Mohawk,” said Jim Lawson, CEO for Woodbine Entertainment Group.  “The atmosphere was electric with fans young and young at heart, core and new customers, enjoying a night out.  Saturday night certainly proved that Standardbred racing is alive and well in the province.”

The highlight of the wagering menu Saturday was the mandatory payout on the Jackpot Hi-5. With a carryover of $489,912 brought into Saturday’s mandatory payout, horseplayers wagered $1,210,071 of new money into the Jackpot Hi-5 pool.

The previous Mohawk record handle also featured a Jackpot Hi-5 mandatory payout.

A record crowd of 17,602 passed through the entrances to Mohawk Racetrack Saturday evening. Fans were treated to live music, food trucks, giveaways and the world’s finest harness racing.

New records were also established on the racing surface.

Always B Miki posted the fastest mile in the history of Canadian harness racing with a 1:47.1 mile in the Mohawk Gold Cup.

Betting Line equaled the Track and Stakes Record with his 1:47.4 winning mile in the $1 Pepsi North America Cup.

Hannelore Hanover trotted to a Track Record and equaled a World Record with her 1:51 performance in the Armbro Flight for trotting mares.

Social Media was buzzing throughout the night Saturday, as fans chatted about the event on various platforms. The hashtag #NACup trended in Toronto, while Mohawk debuted an event specific filter for the Pepsi North America Cup on Snapchat.

Live racing continues all summer long every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at Mohawk. Post time each night is 7:30 p.m.

Mark McKelvie