MacDonald And Giroux Dominate Rideau

Thursday proved to be a night that trainer Sebastien Giroux and driver John MacDonald could do no wrong

. MacDonald reined in six winners over the course of the 15-race program, and four of them were supplied by Giroux.

Pretty Kadabra got the ball rolling for both parties when she rolled to a 1:59.2 score in the fourth race. That trotter’s stablemate, Stone Cold Billyo, gave MacDonald and Giroux their second trip to victory lane thanks to his 1:54.3 decision just two races later.

Mattjestic Crombie gave them a round trip to the winner’s circle when he front-stepped to a 1:54.3 victory in the seventh race, and OK MNM turned in a 1:54.3 triumph of his own in the tenth race to give them a combined four wins going into the final five races on the program.

Giroux’s work was done at that point, but MacDonald racked up two more wins. He clicked with Harzak, a trotter from his own stable, in the eleventh race. The gelding went wire-to-wire in a time of 2:01.2. MacDonald then catch-drove the Phil Doyle-trained Shes Alittle Shady to a 1:56.4 tally the very next race.

MacDonald’s six trip to the promised land bumped his 2009 win total to 243, while his lifetime total soared to 1,501. The career winner of purses in excess of $7.4 million has sat behind the winners of purses exceeding $1.1 million this season.

Giroux’s four-win performance pushed his 2009 win total to 81 – a rock solid number considering he has only sent out 213 starters to obtain that number. The Quebec conditioner now owns a UTR that sits at .540. He is quickly closing in on $2 million in lifetime earnings.

To view Thursday’s harness racing results, click here.