Trainer-driver John MacDonald is hoping for a sweet homecoming when he returns to Prince Edward Island for Saturday's $20,000 Governor's Plate at Summerside Raceway.
MacDonald will drive his own trainee Firethorn in this year's highly competitive Governor's Plate for the J P Stables of Winchester, Ont. The six-year-old Dragon Again gelding has previous experience on the East Coast as he finished second in the 2011 edition of the Gold Cup & Saucer at Charlottetown Driving Park.
Making their first start at the Summerside half-mile oval in an elimination last Sunday, MacDonald and Firethorn were collared at the wire by the late-charging Maritimer in 1:56. The duo drew post three for Saturday's $20,000 final and MacDonald noted that there is room for improvement with his trainee.
“My horse wasn’t healthy in the elimination," MacDonald told the Journal Pioneer's Jason Simmonds. “He had a lot of health issues, so I was really disappointed in the way he raced. I think we can get him healthy enough for Saturday, and he should be quite a bit better.
“I was expecting to go in [1]:54 or so at least,” he said. “The track was very dead. My horse wasn’t grabbing the track, he was slipping a lot, he was hitting the bike really bad because of that. There was a pretty good wind that day, and you didn’t see a lot of fast miles.”
The Charlottetown native, who has been operating his own racing stable in Ottawa for the past decade and is currently one of the leading reinsman at Rideau Carleton Raceway, is expecting to make a few more appearances on the P.E.I. harness racing scene this summer.
“This year, I didn’t have a class to race Firethorn in Ottawa because they stopped racing the Preferred Pace, so we decided to take him down there [Summerside],” said the 30-year-old son of horseman Cyril MacDonald. “I am going to get to the Island a couple of times in July.
“I love P.E.I. I try to get home every chance I get. My family still lives here, and I get to see everybody. It’s just a nice place to be, and everybody is really nice.”
Wagering for the 44th edition of the Governor’s Plate will begin at 2 p.m. First race post time for the 16-race card is 6 p.m.
To view Saturday's harness racing entries, click on the following link: Saturday Entries - Summerside Raceway.
(With files from the Journal Pioneer)