A unique occurrence took place at Woodbine Racetrack on Thursday, March 17 when trotter Duke Maccallum crossed the finish line to win that evening’s opening contest

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The victory for the four-year-old graduate of the O.S.S. program involved four different members of the MacDonald clan, with each of them playing a key role in the trotter’s win.

The patriarch of the family, Fred “the Prophet” MacDonald, bred the son of Duke Of York-Rau D Judy, and his sons had all the other bases covered. The trotter was driven to victory by Mark MacDonald for trainer Anthony MacDonald and owner James MacDonald.

One might think the trotter would be more aptly named Duke Macdonald considering his background, but the elder MacDonald opted to name him after a friend of the family instead.

“The horse is named after a slugging fastball star on Prince Edward Island in the early 1960's who has been living in Toronto,” said Fred MacDonald. “He’s been a regular at Woodbine for 50 years.”