Canada’s four-time defending Driver of the Year James MacDonald put in a strong shift at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Thursday, July 3, winning five of the night’s 10 races.
The reinsman kicked off the card as he steered Marlenes Legacy ($5.30) to her second career victory in the opener by 1-3/4 lengths. The Chantal Mitchell-trained sophomore, owned by Howard and Judith Taylor, lowered her lifetime mark to 1:53.3.
MacDonald then took the third race as Windsun Charlotte ($2.80), after reaching the top down the backstretch, romped by 3-1/4 lengths in 1:51.4. The three-year-old filly is conditioned by Murray Brethour for Windsun Farm Inc.
The driver went back-to-back in races six and seven. He angled Beach Cruiser ($4.30) through traffic to take the sixth with the four-year-old gelding by a short nose in 1:52.4 for trainer Paul MacKenzie and owners Gary Ford and Janet Kinney. Call Me Parker ($3.90) left no doubt in the seventh, cruising to a five-length maiden-breaking score in 1:55.2 for conditioner Ben Baillargeon, who shares ownership of the four-year-old gelding with Santo Vena and Diane Ingham.
MacDonald completed his evening as he piloted Acefortyfour Daisy ($3.70) to a first-over score in the second $10,000 Pop-Up Series division in 1:54.4 by 1-1/4 lengths. The five-year-old mare was making her first start for owner-trainer Kevin Enman.
MacDonald, seeking his fourth straight year with more than 400 wins, has won 187 of 891 starts this year for a win rate of 21 per cent. He is Canada’s leading driver in earnings this season and is second-placed in wins behind Austin Sorrie.
Grand Circuit ($2.90) took the first of two Pop-Up Series splits for $8,000 claiming fillies and mares that are non-winners of $5,000 in their last five starts or started in the first leg. Jean Rene Plante drove the five-year-old mare to a dominant victory in 1:52.3.
To view Thursday’s harness racing results, click the following link: Thursday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.
(Standardbred Canada; photo of Acefortyfour Daisy winning on July 3)