The Canadian Sportsman
Last Call Online
Back To Last Call OnlineJuly 01, 2010
Despite an influx of top U.S. horses and their connections, the locals — led by trainer Casie Coleman and driver Mark MacDonald, both of Cambridge — dominated Saturday’s rich Pepsi North America Cup card at Mohawk Racetrack in Campbellville.
Coleman and MacDonald became the first trainer/driver tandem to win both the $1.5 million Pepsi North America Cup for three-year-old pacing colts and the $660,000 Fan Hanover for pacing fillies in the same year in the 27-year history of the Cup. The dynamic duo won the NA Cup with Sportswriter and the Fan Hanover with Western Silk.
MacDonald alone is just the fourth driver to win both of the nation’s richest sophomore pacing events in the same year and the first to do it on the same night.
In the last 20 years, the NA Cup has been won by U.S.-based drivers 15 times, though the tide appears to be turning. Canadian-based reinsmen have won three of the last four Cups, counting MacDonald this year, Guelph’s Paul MacDonell in 2008 with Somebeachsomewhere and Cambridge’s Jody Jamieson in ‘07 with Tell All.
Meanwhile, Mohawk-based drivers won all four major stakes on Saturday’s card. Besides MacDonald’s two wins — which accounted for over $1 million in purse earnings (of which, MacDonald kept five per cent; over $57,000 to be exact) — Jamieson won the $387,000 Goodtimes Stakes for three-year-old trotting colts with Sing Jesse Sing. Jamieson also won last year’s Goodtimes with Federal Flex. Trevor Ritchie of Acton completed the local stakes sweep by winning the $557,000 Elegantimage final for three-year-old trotting fillies with Ultimate Cameron.
Click on the words “Guelph Mercury” to read the article in its entirety.
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