Mark MacDonald is currently recovering from an accident that occurred last month at Yonkers Raceway. The decorated driver will return no worse for wear, but the question isn't just a matter of when. It's also a matter of where.
MacDonald, a native of P.E.I. native and two-time O'Brien Award winner as Canada's Driver of the Year who's plied his trade stateside since 2012, was slated to drive a handful of horses during Breeders Crown weekend at The Meadowlands but missed those drives after an accident at Yonkers Raceway on Oct. 24.
"I got injured at Yonkers, had a horse fall down there in the two hole and made a break," MacDonald told Trot Insider. "I don't know what happened — grabbed the shoe, perhaps...I fell down and I got run over."
As a result of the accident, MacDonald suffered a deflated lung, fractured ribs, fractured vertebrae in his back and a small fracture in his tibia. He's since been examined by specialists and surgery was not required. But, according to MacDonald, the winner of 6,710 races and more than $114 million in purses will miss the remainder of the 2024 harness racing season.
"It happens, it's part of the game, but, you know, that said, it could have been a lot worse," indicated the Goshen, N.Y. resident. "I'm happy to be able to walk away from that and not have anything major. Don't need surgery. My spine's okay, everything's good. It is what it is, but anytime you get in one of those little dust ups and you come out of it with nothing major, you're in good shape."
In the case of a return such as MacDonald's, duration or a return date would normally be the main question given that full recovery awaits him at the end of the healing process. However, MacDonald hasn't ruled out a return to racing on Canadian soil in the not-to-distant future.
"I'm on the fence, but I am leaning towards maybe starting back at [Woodbine] Mohawk [Park]. I don't know what I could get but that's what I'm thinking right now. But first, I'm just trying to get healthy again."
Please join Standardbred Canada in wishing Mark MacDonald a full and speedy recovery.
(Standardbred Canada)