Veteran New Jersey trainer Bill MacKenzie is generally a strong supporter of the driving colony, but even he had a hard time explaining some of the difficult trips his horses received most recently. MacKenzie hopes for a major rebound on Saturday night with five from his stable seeing action on the 14-race program at the Meadowlands. Sono Confuso, a 5-year-old son of Lazurus, was overly aggressive during the first half of his mile on January 10. That troubled trip as the favorite led to a third-place finish that was reduced to tenth following a disqualification. Sono Confuso returns this week from a solid post with a new pilot in the 6:20 P.M. (ET) opener on the 14-race card. "He's in a good spot and in the right class," said MacKenzie of the Trackmaster Rating 71 condition that Sono Confuso was able to win at on December 13 under more conservative handling. Having been out of action for two months, Dance It Out (post eight) may need a start of two before he can regain top form. "I thought he qualified well but may need a start," said MacKenzie of the 8-year-old that races in Saturday's third event for non-winners of $5,000 in their last five starts. Look for Peter Petrify N (post four) to put forth an improved effort this week. "I think he would have been fine sitting third last week, but that's not what happened," said MacKenzie of the multiple-move effort that saw the $17,500 claimer working overtime to reach three-quarters in 1:23 and change only to weaken near the wire. "He's definitely going to be raced differently this week and hopefully reserved from off-the-pace." Peter Petrify N goes in race six, a $17,500-20,000 claiming handicap that could favor Diamondbeach (post nine), one of three in for the $20,000 tag. A 9-year-old by Somebeachsomewhere, Diamondbeach has won two of his last three starts with a second-place finish in between from post 10. ► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter An inside draw could prove the difference for Dance Partner, MacKenzie's charge in race 11, a Trackmaster rating of 83.5 event for horses and geldings. Saddled with post nine in his race against the same class on January 10, Dance Partner finished fourth. "I thought he charged home nicely," said MacKenzie with optimism that a better draw this week could have Dance Partner closer to the action and ripe for a win. A troubled trip spoiled the party for National Sport on January 10, with dull cover shuffling him out of contention in the early stretch. Once free, the 9-year-old by Sportswriter kicked in strongly. National Sport was dropping in class for that race, and the odds reflected it as he disappointed the bettors as well at 9-5. "He just needs a better trip," MacKenzie said bluntly when asked about his chances. National Sport drew post six in Saturday's 13th affair for the same Trackmaster Rated 74.5 horses he met a week earlier. Known predominantly for having a racehorse stable, MacKenzie hit the big-time a few years ago with the sensational sophomore Southwind Ozzi, who captured the 2019 Little Brown Jug. Now a stallion, Southwind Ozzi serviced mares for two seasons in New Jersey with numbers that were relatively light and just a few foals to hit the racetrack. Now standing in Ohio at Cool Winds Farm, Southwind Ozzi's third crop are yearlings. "We'll find out whether he's going to be a sire or not with his third crop," said MacKenzie. "We've only bred a few mares to him each year." MacKenzie's focus is more on racing operations and maintaining his farm and its half-mile track in Cranbury, New Jersey. "I've got a 3-year-old that's ok," said MacKenzie of Ozzies Crazy Train that raced just a few times in 2025 as a freshman. There's a homebred filly named B Still My Art that should race this year as a sophomore as well. MacKenzie noted that he has six babies in training among the 27 or so currently in his stable. "I've got a Captain Crunch, a Father Patrick, a Papi Rob Hanover that I like and a Stay Hungry that I bought on the first day at Harrisburg," said MacKenzie. "It was the first day, but I still kept within my budget and paid $40,000." Cyrus Hanover is the Stay Hungry colt's name, and he's from a near-100 percent producing dam named Current Hanover. As for the Father Patrick he's training in a stable dominated by pacers MacKenzie said, "I started with Gary Messenger. He asked me to take the horse and I said 'of course.'" MacKenzie said the freshman will return to Messenger when ready to race, hopefully by June. MacKenzie suggested that he's going to slow down in the next few years with an eye on retirement and enjoying his family and young daughter. "I'll probably just look to buy a few horses each year," MacKenzie said, still hoping to come away with a champion from the yearling sales.