CAMPBELLVILLE, Ont. — James MacDonald has a difficult decision to make.
The resident of Guelph, Ont., is listed to drive both Redwood Hanover and Moment is Here in the $1-million Pepsi North America Cup on Saturday night at Woodbine Mohawk Park. And MacDonald doesn't exactly have the luxury of time as he must decide by Wednesday morning.
"It's a great problem to have, it's great to have the choice between two great horses," MacDonald said Tuesday during the Cup draw at Mohawk. "It's great but I hate to let anyone down.
"I'll hate having to make that phone call and tell someone I'm not going with their horse. Unfortunately, that's part of the game."
MacDonald drove both horses to third-place finishes last Saturday in their respective Cup elimination races. The four elim winners — Its My Show, Christchurch, Confederate and Fulton — and four second-place finishers — Ammo, Lyons Surfing, Save America and Voukefalas — will round out the 10-horse Cup field Saturday night.
MacDonald isn't the only driver with a choice to make. Dexter Dunn, a New Zealand native, drove both Christchurch and Fulton last weekend.
The connections of the four elimination winners were able to secure a post between two and five Tuesday. The remaining six positions were then randomly drawn.
The field, with post, horse and driver, in order includes: 1. Moment Is Here, MacDonald; 2. Its My Show, Scott Zeron, of Oakville, Ont.; 3. Christchurch, Dunn; 4. Fulton, Dunn; 5. Confederate, Tim Tetrick; 6. Voukefalas, Jordan Stratton; 7. Lyons Surfing, McCarthy; 8. Redwood Hanover, MacDonald; 9. Save America, Yannick Gingras, of Sorel, Que; 10. Ammo, David Miller.
Its My Show sports a 5-0 record this year while Zeron won this race in 2019 with Captain Crunch. Its My Show's winning ways come after finishing winless in eight starts last year.
Its My Show won its elimination starting from the No. 1 post, claiming the 2 1/4-length victory in 1:48.0. All four elimination victors finished under 1:49.0.
"The good thing about my horse is he’s probably the easiest horse I’ve ever had to drive," said Zeron. "He’s very robotic, anything I want him to do, slow down, speed up.
"He’s super quick and he’s got some big lungs."
Nancy Takter, the trainer for Christchurch, will be looking for a third Cup victory (2019 with Captain Crunch, 2020 with Tall Dark Stranger).
Miller will appear in his 22nd North America Cup, leaving him three shy of retired Canadian John Campbell's record of 25. Campbell, of Ailsa Craig, Ont., has won the race a record six times.
Regardless of the choice MacDonald makes, his horse will be looked upon as a race underdog given both were third in their elimination races. But that's the beauty of horse racing as not only must the events go ahead but longshots also can cross the finish line first.
"It's an old cliché but you can't win it if you're not in it," MacDonald said. "You have to make tough decisions and hopefully come Saturday I'll have made the right one.
"If not, it's something you have to live with."
MacDonald will make his fourth Cup appearance Saturday. Twice he has finished seventh (Captain Barbossa in 2020, Bettor Son in 2021) and 10th in 2022 with Kolby Two Step.
MacDonald is the defending champion driver at Woodbine and has been named Canada's top driver the last two years.
"It would mean everything (to win North America Cup)," MacDonald said. "These big races, they only come around once a year and they're really hard to win.
"(Winning) is an emotional feeling, it's like the weight of the world is off your back if you can get them across first. There's no rush like winning a horse race but there's especially no rush like winning a big horse race."
Woodbine CEO Jim Lawson said the North America Cup has definitely grown into one of the sport's top races since its inception in 1984.
"As I look at this field for Saturday night, it is clear it is a global race," said Lawson. "We’ve attracted the best horses in North America.
"This race has built itself into one of the best three-year-old events in standardbred racing.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 13, 2023.
Dan Ralph, The Canadian Press
