Last post for the day, Analysis by Jake Robinson
-Closing Moves-
The stage is set for a thrilling conclusion to what has been a dramatic race. A week of challenging conditions, prompting a postponement of Stage 2 and a last minute location change of Stage 6, has kept mushers on their toes and forced their hand and adjust race strategies to meet the moment. In these final days, we can see who still has cards to play.
Yesterday’s lap on this same trail was tough, and in some ways, today was even tougher, which makes Cathy Rivest’s run that much more impressive. Not only did Cathy once again win the stage and retain, she ran the trail today FASTER than she did yesterday, the only team in the top 5 to do so. Even more impressive is that she did it with a lead dog that is nearly TEN YEARS OLD! John Deere is a famous lead dog from the Malo/Rivest kennel and today’s run adds another incredible statistic to his legacy. Good boy, JD!!
Cathy’s hard racing the last two days is no surprise, as she is in a tight race for 2nd overall, where she is now sitting having moved up from 4th. What is a bit surprising is that she is continuing to outpace the Malo A-team from their truck. While it is likely the case that Anny is running more conservatively in consideration of defending her title at the World Championships in The Pas, MB which starts in 6 short days and is anticipating some stiffer competition, Anny has run 10-dog teams the last two days rather than 8 on, 8 off to preserve maximum rest in her pool. Regardless, she is still nearly 30 minutes ahead in this race, won the Fur Rondezvous in 2024, and is the defending champion in The Pas.
Stephane Roy has found his rhythm and positioned himself for a nearly certain Eastern Canadian podium sweep, putting on another strong run and making nearly 5 minutes on Bruce Magnusson for the day. The fresh snow and high winds haven’t been ideal for Bruce ‘The Moose’ Magnusson, but Bruce has run this race more than anyone else in history and knows a thing or two about a thing or two. If Roy makes a mistake tomorrow or has let a little too much air out of the balloon the last two days, Magnusson is well poised to take advantage of it. Crittenden is fighting her way back into this dog race and looked strong with an 11-dog team today that loped to a 4th place finish, she has an uphill battle that requires her to make nearly 10 minutes on the team in front of her in order to move up. Big gains often happen on day 7, and if anyone is going to pull it off, it’s going to be Alix.
Liam ‘Young Gun’ Conner had a tough day today and was overtaken by Michael Tetzner in total time. He’ll get another bite at the apple tomorrow, but Al Borak is now within striking distance as well and will likely be looking to move up. Michael Tetzner actually had a lackluster run, finishing 11th for the day, but moving up overall. This is the fun of compound math! Leonie is undoubtedly happy, having beat her old man once again!
For the last few years, the race concluded at the famous Driggs trail, which was 7 straight miles of STEEP climbing, 7 miles straight down, and then back up and down the mountain. Driggs was pretty much 2 hours of heartbreak hill, but set the stage for big gains, big losses and lots of moving within the pack. For the first time in recent history, possibly ever, the race is finishing in Dubois, where nobody knows anything about what to expect. The trail is totally unfamiliar to mushers, and adds a little dose of entropy into the closing overture of this dog race. There will undoubtedly be a handful of teams going for broke, trying to secure an upwards placing. Some teams will be on damage control mode, focusing on a consistent, error free run with the hopes of fending off any challengers. Everyone will be looking forward to a good nights sleep and a reprieve from the wind and snow once it’s all over. There are some really tight ‘races within the race’ and tomorrow will be packed with action, heartbreak, and relief. Watch the Pedigree Stage Stop Race page to see it unfold in real time!
