Hennessy reaches $10 million with grand slam

Harness racing driver Mike Hennessy hit the eight-digit earnings milestone as he hammered home a grand slam on the Saturday (Nov. 16) card at Century Mile with a 20-1 upset in the finale.

Hennessy slotted Wine Thirty (Vertical Horizon) in behind leader Matts A Mystician (Nathan Sobey), who was hounded by the parked out Keystone Tenacious (Gilles Bouvier) throughout the first half. The latter began to tire heading into the last turn, and Matts A Mystician brought the lead into the lane with a group of horses giving chase. Wine Thirty led the charge and hauled down the pacesetter in mid-stretch and held on by a half-length over the rallying Came A Cavalier (Kelly Hoerdt) in 1:53.2. Blue Powder (Jean Francois Gagne) was alongside them in third.

WINE THIRTY REPLAY

The win was Wine Thirty’s first since May and his first time hitting the ticket since September. Rodney Hennessy trains the gelding for owner/breeder Lorne Duffield of Edmonton. The five-year-old has won 15 times and has earned $114,259 in 80 career starts.

Hennessy’s first win came with Trust Me Alot (Trust The Artist, 1:57.1) in a dominant performance in the fourth. He doubled up with Agricola (Domitian Hanover, 1:56.4) in the fifth, and got his third with 2023 Western Canada Pacing Derby champ Blue Star Mercury (Mystician, 1:55.1) in the seventh.

The victory with Trust Me A Lot officially brought Hennessy past $10 million in earnings. He reached the milestone in just under 10,000 starts. The resident of Lacombe, Alta. made his driving debut in 2003 and has racked up 1,387 wins. He is third in the drivers’ standings at Century Mile this season, trailing second-place Brandon Campbell by four wins.

Century Mile is set to host its next card on Friday, Nov. 22.

For complete race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink