MacDONALD DOUBLES UP IN GRADUATE AT BIG M

Saturday, June 15, 2024

James MacDonald is the two-time defending O’Brien Award-winning Driver of the Year in Canada, but Friday night at The Meadowlands, the 38-year-old pilot proved he can travel south and still do quite well, as he guided the winners of two of the four $50,000 divisions of the second leg of the Graduate Series for 4-year-olds.

MacDonald scored in the first of two trots with the Nancy Takter-trained Hasty Bid (a gelded son of My MVP-Sunshinenlollipops), who scooted up the inside late after a pocket trip to best 2-5 favorite Special Way by 1½ lengths in a lifetime-best 1:51.3.

“He’s been a good horse his whole life,” said MacDonald. “His first two starts this year were probably the worst two of his life. We sent him down to Nancy and they said they wanted to try him barefoot. Nancy did a great job and the horse was phenomenal tonight.”

Hasty Bid raised his lifetime bankroll to $445,000 after winning for the fifth time in 26 lifetime outings. As the 6-1 fourth choice in the betting, he returned $14.60 to his backers.

Currently the leading driver at Mohawk with 174 wins, MacDonald scored his second Big M victory of the night – and the year – with 8-5 second choice Coach Stefanos in the second of two dashes on the pace.

“When you get to sit behind power like that,” said MacDonald. “It makes things pretty easy. We were lucky tonight. We had him in a good spot. I know what he’s capable of. It was set up and he knew what to do.”

After getting a live tow from Command to three-quarters, Coach Stefanos (a gelding by Tellitlikeitis-Watch N Be Watched) tipped off that cover in the straightaway and rolled to a three-quarter-length win over a hard-charging Voukefalas in a lifetime-best 1:47.3. Seven Colors, the 3-2 favorite, led to the top of the stretch before wilting to fifth.

The Erv Miller-trained Coach Stefanos now has 16 wins from just 33 lifetime starts, good for earnings of $846,731. He returned $5.20 to win.

The first pacing event went to 29-1 longshot No Control (a gelded son of Control The Moment-Dani Hanover) for driver Jordan Stratton and trainer Tan Micallef in a lifetime-best 1:47.3.

After an alert getaway led to a pocket trip, Stratton had more than enough horse late to overtake leader Christchurch, who ended up fourth, and more than enough horse to hold off a late-charging Seafire by a half-length. Huntinthelastdolar, the 6-5 favorite, finished third.

“I think he was getting overlooked on the board,” said Stratton. “He went parked in the Juravinski [when fifth as the 8-5 public choice]. He’s really fast off the wings. The fractions [:26.4, :54, 1:21.1] were fast, and it worked out. He was really good. I’m just thrilled.”

No Control is now nine for 19 lifetime and has earnings of $182,807. He returned $60 to win.

The least surprising result of the night came in the second division for trotters as the Takter-schooled Winner’s Bet scored as the 1-5 chalk in a lifetime-best 1:50. The son of Walner-Side Bet Hanover picked up a perfect second-over tow from 22-1 outsider Black Magic and rolled by his foes to record a 1½-length score over a stubborn, speedy Ponda Jet, who led from the quarter to the stretch.

Takter’s tactic of racing in the Graduate after three winning qualifiers paid off perfectly.

“He’s a really nice horse, I expected him to race well,” said Takter, who had 16 wins from just 37 Big M starts at the start of the night. “I knew he had a good mile in him, but maybe not 1:50 over a track rated ‘good’. He’s become really versatile. [Driver] Dexter [Dunn] gave him a great trip. It couldn’t have worked out any better.”

After winning for the seventh time from 21 career starts, Winner’s Bet, who returned $2.60 to win, upped his lifetime earnings to $602,967.

TIME AFTER TIME: The 1:47.3 clockings by Coach Stefanos and No Control have the twosome tied for the fastest mile of the year at The Big M.

Winner’s Bet’s mile time of 1:50 tied Jiggy Jog S and Lexus Kody atop the leaderboard for the fastest mile of the year in the sport on the trot, with all three coming at The Meadowlands. In addition, Winner’s Bet is now tied with Six Pack (2019) for the fastest mile in track history for a 4-year-old horse.

A LITTLE MORE: The Joe Holloway-trained Nuclear (a 3-year-old son of Always B Miki-Can’tgetenuffofyou) sparkled in his seasonal debut, popping out of the pocket to score in a conditioned event in 1:48.4. The gelding is Meadowlands Pace eligible. … All-source handle on the 15-race card totaled $2,688,289. … Racing resumes Saturday at 6:20 p.m.

PHOTO: Hasty Bid and driver James MacDonald won the first of two $50,000 divisions of the second leg of the Graduate Series for trotters at The Meadowlands Friday night. (Credit: Lisa Photo)