Saratoga Harness: Doubles for MacDonald, Hennessey in NY Excelsior A Series finals

White, yellow, and blue driving colors were prominent in the $50,000 New York Excelsior "A" Series finals for 2- and 3-year-olds on Sunday afternoon at Saratoga Casino Hotel as both Mark MacDonald and Wally Hennessey scored a pair of victories.

MacDonald won the 3-year-old filly pace and 2-year-old colt and gelding pace on the front-end, taking the former event with American Halo (by American Ideal) in 1:55 and the latter tilt with To The Hunt (by Huntsville) in 1:54 3/5. American Halo, a Tony Alagna trainee, was bred by Crawford Farms and is owned by Let It Ride Stables and Bottom Line Racing, while To The Hunt is trained by Ray Schnittker, who also bred and co-owns him with partners David Pepin and Flintlock Farm.

Hall of Famer Hennessey annexed the 2-year-old colt and gelding trot with Maximum Express (by Credit Winner) from first-up in 1:58 2/5 and the 2-year-old filly pace from off-the-speed with Turn On The Charm (by Huntsville) in 1:54 2/5. Maximum Express, a Dunroven Stud-bred, is co-owned by trainer Josh Kinney in partnership with James De Armond, and Turn On The Charm is trained by Bruce Clarke for owners/breeders Megan Beauchamp and John Coffey.

Perfect Vixen, a daughter of Muscles Yankee, won the 3-year-old filly trot on the engine in 1:56 with John Stark Jr. driving the Scott Mongeon trainee. Bred by Cozette McAvoy, Perfect Vixen is owned by Edward Reich and Irwin Lambert.

The sophomore colt and gelding trot saw a wire-to-wire win for Makadushin N Cheez, a son of Conway Hall who rolled on the point to an eight length victory in 1:55 3/5 for Jason Bartlett and co-owner/trainer David Dewhurst. Makadushin N Cheez was bred by Fair Winds Farm and is co-owned by Joseph and Molly D'Agostino and Philip Kadushin.

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Kingsville turned a pocket trip into a 1:52 4/5 triumph for Jim Morrill Jr. and Gareth Dowse in the 3-year-old male pace. The victorious Huntsville gelding is owned by B & I Stables LLC. and was bred by Vieux Carre Farms.

Rounding out the champions was Usosweet Blue Chip, who overcame post eight and grabbed the 2-year-old filly trot from first-over in 1:59 1/5 for Marcus and Erv Miller. A daughter of Devious Man, she is also co-owned by Erv Miller in partnership with Bowie Racing LLC. and was bred by Blue Chip Bloodstock Inc.