"I get goosebumps when you say it like that."
In the history of the O'Brien Awards, only one driver has won more Driver of the Year titles than James MacDonald. That driver is eight-time O'Brien Award winner and Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Famer Doug Brown.
Thus, MacDonald — the 2024 Keith Waples Driver of the Year Award winner — now stands alone as the second winningest driver. And that's an amazing accomplishment for the former fry guy at the Charlottetown Driving Park.
"I just feel like a regular guy that's trying to win an $8,000 claimer every now and again," said MacDonald in an interview with Standardbred Canada after the 2024 O'Brien Awards. "I've been fortunate the last few years to sit behind some great young horses to drive and I just hope it continues for as many years as humanly possible."
It might have been humanly possible before 2024 for a driver to post a $12 million season while based in Canada, but no human had found it possible until MacDonald cleared $12 million in seasonal purses on Dec. 9 at Woodbine Mohawk Park. He went on to set a career-high as he drove horses to purse earnings totalling $12,329,313 while winning more than 400 races for the third consecutive year (444).
As part of this award-winning season, the 39-year-old resident of Guelph, Ont. was the regular driver of four O’Brien Award winners — Chantilly, Its A Love Thing, Willys Home Run and Monalishi. MacDonald's remarkable season included bucket-list stakes victories in the Meadowlands Pace, Cane Pace, Peaceful Way, Fan Hanover and Shes A Great Lady in addition to two Breeders Crown finals.
"The Breeders Crown was definitely very high on the list, especially when I've got people in the drivers' room heckling me because I've never won one," said MacDonald with a smile. "Guys like Bob [McClure] and Doug [McNair] and Louis [Philippe-Roy]...those guys were able to knock those off their list early. To do two in a year was pretty cool, especially with two horses [Lady Landia and Coach Stefanos] a lot of people weren't expecting to win Breeders Crowns. That was very special."
MacDonald and SC's Jeff Porchak also discuss the driver's thoughts on Chantilly in the Pepsi North America Cup, his personal highlights from 2024, the races that now top his bucket list and the people behind the scenes that most contribute to success. The interview is the second in a series of interviews sponsored by Horse Racing Alberta.
(Standardbred Canada; photos courtesy New Image Media and Lisa Photo)