When Lawmaker hits the track in the fifth race and first of two C$30,000 eliminations for the Goodtimes at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Friday, he’ll have more vocal support in the stands than his rivals. “We’ll have between a 100 and 110 people trackside,” said Anthony MacDonald, who will drive Lawmaker. That those supporters are actually owners shows that MacDonald and certainly Lawmaker are already big winners as is the sport that has seen ownership interest, just via MacDonald, skyrocket. “We’ve got 447 owners in over 10 countries,” said MacDonald of the groups he has put together through TheStable.ca. Yet Lawmaker represents currently the best of a large number of horses and his appearance in the Goodtimes suggest this group and others don’t just get to share horse ownership, they could get to share the stakes experience. Given the vast ownership interest, one might think MacDonald could be feeling the pressure. “Actually it’s the other way around. With more owners there’s less individual pressure,” MacDonald said. While owners are an important part of the game, especially those interested enough to show up at the track, the horses and drivers are the ones that put on the show and Lawmaker hopes to advance into the final with a top five finish this week. That was something that wasn’t exactly assured only a few weeks ago. “He got cast (stuck on his back) in his stall,” said MacDonald, explaining the lost time and why the sophomore son of Muscle Massive will be making his first start in June. A 1:55 2/5 qualifier on May 28 was enough to get him ready but it hardly excited MacDonald. “He was decent in his qualifier but I trained him back on Monday (June 4) and we went a mile in 1:56 with a final half in 56 and he was much better,” MacDonald said. A winner in two of eight starts as a freshman, Lawmaker earned $166,198 with a healthy chunk of that coming from a second-place finish in the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Championship last September. “Training down as a 2-year-old it was hard to say just how good he was. He had sharp speed leaving the gate and could follow, but he wasn’t the kind of horse you could go up first-over with,” said MacDonald. It’s been that tactical speed that has allowed Lawmaker to flourish in his brief racing career and it’s given MacDonald and trainer Jason McGinnis enough inspiration to stake Lawmaker to some of the bigger dances, including the Hambletonian and Breeders Crown. “With the late start we’ve already missed a few legs of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes,” said MacDonald. “So we’ll have to see what’s next for him after this race.” Though there are 10 facing Lawmaker (post 4), he was fortunate to land in what appears the softer division. That’s a good thing considering his lack of starts this year. He will meet the improving sophomore Hat Trick Habit (post 3), undefeated in two starts this year with a career best 1:52 4/5 mile taken on June 1 at The Meadowlands. Wolfgang (post 5) won last year’s Kentucky Sire Stakes final and makes his sophomore debut in this Goodtimes division. Jimmy Takter trains the son of My MVP. Jula Downton won an Ontario Gold division on May 28 in a career best 1:54 2/5 clocking over this surface and must be respected from the most inside post. The second Goodtimes elimination has a solid cast of 10 with juvenile Breeders Crown champion Fiftydallarbill making his first career start outside of Indiana for trainer William Crone. The Swan For All colt has looked dominant again at Hoosier Park with wins in both 2018 stakes events for Indiana-bred offspring. Fiftydallarbill landed post one with Trace Tetrick in the bike. William Wellwood final winner Alarm Detector captured six of his seven starts as a freshman and returns to the races for trainer Ben Baillargeon after two sparkling qualifiers. Top driver Trevor Henry has the assignment from post five. MacDonald will drive Cruising In Style (post 2) in the second division for another ownership group. Cruising In Style was third to top Six Pack in a NYSS event at Vernon on May 11.