When asked about what it was like to lose the drive on Sportswriter earlier this year, O'Brien Award winning reinsman Mark MacDonald didn't hold back. One thing that we all know is that ultimate redemption is
oh-so sweet.
“It was heartbreaking. I’m not going to lie to you, it was a tough winter," MacDonald was quoted as saying in an article by The Guelph Mercury. "I got divorced this year then I got that email that they were taking me off the horse. It was like a punch in the stomach.”
MacDonald, twice named Canada's Driver of the Year, took the blow like a true prizefighter, but his much stronger counterpunch came through in a calm, cool and collected approach via his professionalism.
With a new-found dedication to the gym, and rolling with the punches that the racing game threw at him through the opening half of 2010, MacDonald did his job: win races. When the opportunity presented itself, MacDonald found himself back upon Sportswriter, the colt he steered to a standout, O'Brien Award-winning freshman campaign.
If anyone had any doubts on whether MacDonald and Sportswriter should be reunited, those questions were answered this past Saturday at Mohawk Racetrack when the duo threw a 1:48.3 front-end victory at what has been dubbed as a very evenly matched group of three-year-olds. Sportswriter took the $1.5 million event -- the richest pacing event in the world -- by three-quarters of one length, temporarily silencing any of the colt's critics.
Reflecting back on when he was taken off Sportswriter, MacDonald conveyed that he reached a crossroads of sorts. He was quoted as saying, "I believe you make your own luck and instead of feeling sorry for myself I got back out there, I started working out in the gym three or four days a week and racing at all the 'B' tracks again. You know what? I guess hard work sometimes does pay off.”
(With files from The Guelph Mercury)
To view the charted results from NA Cup night at Mohawk, click here.
To read the full recap of the NA Cup, click here.
To read the full recap from the NA Cup undercard, click here.
Mark certainly is an
Mark certainly is an inspiration to the sport dont know him personally but a real close friend of mine we grew up racing in ontario told me once when mark had just came into the ontario scene that mark was a real class act and would find his way to the top of ontario circuit and he was so right its nice to see someone so humble do well good luck Mark!!
Mark is a class act... And I
Mark is a class act...
And I couldn't be happier than to see him win the Cup! He has spoken to my 9-year-old son many times in the winner's circle at Mohawk (and thrown him a few whips) and always answers the fans respectfully and acknowledges their comments or questions. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy!
Mark Congrats On Saturday
Mark Congrats On Saturday night!!!! Hold your head high you have proven your in the elite group more then once.
I hope the connections of Sportswriter realize how lucky they are to have you drive their colt. Your talent and class have always impressed me. Great job buddy. Greg "Curly" Dustin
There never should have been
There never should have been any question. It's not that mark can drive with the best of them, it's that the rest of them can try to dive with Mark.
A young and true
A young and true professional driver; just what our industry is desperate for. Keep up the good work on and off the track MM. If you're good enough to win a million dollar race with him at two, surely your good enough to win another one or two with him at three. I'm not firing anyone who gets me 1/2 M. $ for less than two minutes work. Thankfully I'll never be faced with such a dilemma.
Congrats Mark nice win --
Congrats Mark
nice win -- something you deserved
Marie Stoyles-Moura
MARK YOUR PARENTS MUST BE
MARK YOUR PARENTS MUST BE SOOOOOOO PROUD OF YOU (AND YOUR BROTHERS)