For many participants in harness racing, a day like Saturday, June 17 might as well have an Advent calendar attached to it. Whether racing in it or participating passively as a spectator, there has been a countdown of the days to the 2023 Pepsi North America Cup card since last June. But with that nervous excitement, there are some moments that make said anticipation somewhat less enjoyable.
James MacDonald didn't want to have to choose between Moment Is Here and Redwood Hanover, but such is the burden of a successful catch-driver.
Canada's top driver for the past two years, and currently the leading driver at Woodbine Mohawk Park, MacDonald guided both of the aforementioned 2023 Pepsi North America Cup contenders to third-place finishes this past Saturday (June 10) in the NA Cup elims. That finish position left the fate of both colts to the luck of the draw with only two of the third-place finishers qualifying for this weekend's million-dollar main event. The draw gods didn't make that decision easy for MacDonald.
"That's probably the hardest part of the game, because you have to let someone down," MacDonald admitted to Trot Insider at the 2023 Pepsi North America Cup post draw on Tuesday (June 13). "They're both great horses, so you have to tell someone that has a great horse that you want to drive another one.
"It's great for the connections, great for Ontario racing to see Tony Beaton and Robert McIntosh in the race."
MacDonald seeks his first North America Cup trophy, and looks to guide Redwood Hanover to victory in Canada's most prestigious pacing event this Saturday.
"I'm going with Redwood Hanover. I'm kind of going with my gut. I loved the way he raced in the Somebeachsomewhere, I was really proud of how he raced in the NA Cup elim and it was a tough decision," said MacDonald. "I hope Moment Is Here wins if I don't."
Redwood Hanover leaves from post eight on Saturday for trainer Tony Beaton, who co-owns the son of Stay Hungry - Rockingcam Park with Mac Nichol of Burlington, Ont., McKinlay & Fielding of Toronto, Ont., and David Mercer of Westmount, N.S. As a sophomore, Redwood Hanover sports a 4-0-1 summary from six starts with a mark of 1:49s and $76,094 in seasonal earnings.
With morning line odds of 12-1, Redwood Hanover enters the 2023 Pepsi North America Cup as a bit of dark horse selection but that lack of attention and public support doesn't bother MacDonald in the least.
"When you look back and see how he raced in the Somebeachsomewhere, he left in :25.3, was parked, cleared, let one go and then finished in :26.2. To do that is pretty special, and he beat some really nice horses that day," noted the Guelph, Ont. resident. "That being said, he went to war last week to get in the final. You never know how they bounce back after that; some aren't quite as good, and some are even better. Hopefully, he's the latter."
MacDonald's full dance card on Saturday night also includes a number of popular and powerful performers in the stakes races that will take place before the 2023 North America Cup. Those horses include Adare Castle (PP6, 6-1) in the Armbro Flight Stakes, Hasty Bid (PP5, 10-1) in the Goodtimes Trot, Linedrive Hanover (PP4, 3-1) in the Mohawk Gold Cup Invitational and two-time O'Brien Award winner So Much More (PP5, 5-1) in the Roses Are Red Stakes.
"It's going to be a busy night, and hopefully a productive night," said MacDonald. "It's always fun to drive a great horse, and I've been blessed to drive a lot of them. It's not going to change the way I get out of bed, because it's still business as usual...I have a fun lineup, but they're all in really tough with other great horses. You just try and find a way to beat the other guys. That's the goal on Saturday. As long as they give me a good effort and do their best, and I do my best and get them in good spots, I'll be pretty happy when I go home."
Want a sneak peek into what's next with MacDonald and the new docuseries Ontario Racing Unfiltered? That's here too! The full interview with MacDonald is available below.
To view Saturday’s harness racing entries, click one of the following links: Pepsi North America Cup Night -- Saturday Entries || North America Cup Card Program Pages (courtesy TrackIT).