Saratoga Harness: Mark MacDonald injury mars New York Sire Stakes events

Driver Mark MacDonald was taken to the hospital following an accident that occurred prior to the start of the second of three New York Sire Stakes races for 2-year-old pacing colts and geldings on Saturday night at Saratoga Casino Hotel.

The accident happened going to the gate as Splash Brother and MacDonald hooked wheels with Play Therapy (Jim Morrill Jr.), ejecting MacDonald from the race bike. MacDonald was able to exit the track under his own power, but suffered an injury to his shoulder and had to be sent to the hospital via ambulance. Splash Brother was loose after MacDonald fell, ran into a chain-link fence that is outside the first turn of the track and had to be scratched. Co-owner Nolamaura Racing told Brandon Valvo from the SOA of New York that the horse was scratched up after colliding with the fence, although he appeared to be moving around fine in the paddock.

As for the race itself, it ended up in a 1:55 dead-heat for win between undefeated Groovy Joe (Matt Kakaley) and American Rebel (Yannick Gingras). Kakaley drove Groovy Joe, a Roll With Joe-Chotat Milk colt who is now four-for-four, for co-owner/trainer Blake MacIntosh and co-owner Hutt Racing Stable, and Gingras was in the bike behind American Rebel, an American Ideal-Restive Hanover colt, for trainer Patti Harmon and owners Harmon Racing Stable LLC. and Robert Robinson. Both of the winners were bred by Winbak Farm, with Groovy Joe selling for $17,000 at the Goshen Yearling Sale and American Rebel going for $6,000 at the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale.

Cake Daddy (Brent Holland), who hadn't made a pari-mutuel start since an impressive sire stakes romp on June 20 at Yonkers, was back tonight and won the opening $54,500 flight in 1:55 from the outside post eight. Cake Daddy was wide on the first turn behind Teton Sunset (Daniel Dube), but pushed on to the lead just past the 28 1/5 first quarter. He would go on to hit the half in 57 3/5 and the three-quarters in 1:26 2/5, and a 28 3/5 final kicker got him the win by a length and a half in 1:55. Level Up (Morrill Jr.) was the runner-up from second-over, with Genius Man (Kakaley) a first-up third.

An American Ideal-Southwind Paris colt bred by Southwind Farms LLC., Cake Daddy is trained by Homer Hochstetler, who shares ownership of the $30,000 Lexington acquisition with Connie Hochstetler and former Major League pitcher Dan Plesac. The 2-1 second choice, he paid $6.20 to win.

Rounding out the sire stakes winners for the night was Hurrikanekingjames (Gingras), who broke his maiden in the final $53,500 section with a front-stepping 1:55 1/5 triumph over Cigars And Port (Mark Beckwith) and Tint Of Mint (Scott Zeron).

Hurrikanekingjames is a So Surreal-Luxury Goods colt owned by Jonathan Klee Racing, Kuhen Racing LLC., Pegasis Investment Group, and George Vierno. Hurrikanekingjames was bred by Our Horse Cents Stables and brought $13,000 at the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale. He returned $4.10 to win as the favorite.