MacDonald clutch in securing another historic achievement

Harness racing driver James MacDonald won the necessary three races on the final Woodbine Mohawk Park card of the season on Saturday (Dec. 30) to reach 400 wins in a second straight season at the track.

It was the seventh time in the 60-year history of the track that a driver racked up 400 wins in a year. The reinsman was without a win entering the seventh race, but he bagged three of the final four to reach the coveted total in the final dash of 2023.

JAMES MACDONALD MILESTONE REPLAY

MacDonald, who is nominated for his third straight Driver of the Year Award, surpassed $10 million in earnings for the first time this year. That sum is also the first time a Mohawk-based driver has eclipsed eight digits since 2011. With no drives scheduled for New Year’s Eve, he will end the year with 431 total victories on 2,046 starts and more than $10.3 million in earnings. He captured the track’s driving title by 116 wins over Louis-Philippe Roy and has also wrapped up the national dash-winning driving title.

The training title went to Richard Moreau, who sent out the last of MacDonald’s two winners on the night. Moreau also has an empty slate for the final night of the year, so his season totals will read 297 wins and $4,947,193 in earnings in 1,603 starts. The conditioner won Trainer of the Year in each of the last 10 seasons and made it eight straight training titles at Woodbine Mohawk Park this year. He was 100 tallies clear of Carmen Auciello in second.

Woodbine Mohawk Park racing will roll right into 2024 with a 10-race card on New Year’s Day. Racing will begin at 7:10 p.m. EST.

For complete race results, click here.

by Nicholas Barnsdale, for Harnesslink