Woodbine Mohawk Park: MacDonald takes a swing at a New Holland sweep

James MacDonald has been successful driving top horses and getting results, and on Saturday he's in prime position in two New Holland Series finals at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

MacDonald will steer Locatelli, a second leg winner in the series for trotters that were non-winners of $150K in 2022 - a number he was shy of by just five grand - in the C$72,000 final carded as race five. A couple of races later MacDonald has the likely favorite Nautical Hanover in the C$70,500 New Holland Series final for pacers. The Captaintreacherous-sired 4-year-old has won his last two starts, both with MacDonald in the bike.

"His first start was just okay," said MacDonald of Locatelli, who finished third but was placed fifth in the March 6 first round of the New Holland. "He was much better in his last start and raced more like the horse that trotted in 1:50 4/5 last year."

Locatelli made a bold move at the half and then cruised to a 1:54 3/5 victory in second leg action on March 13. MacDonald will have to overcome post nine in the field of 10 for the New Holland final, but he believes he's sitting behind a horse with enough talent to overcome such an obstacle.

"He's not the greatest leaving horse," said MacDonald. "It's not like he can't leave though."

Indeed the 5-year-old gelded son of Muscle Hill does have gate speed and certainly gives his driver the options to set sail for the top or look for cover.

"It's a good bunch of horses but I like my chances," concluded Macdonald, who drives Locatelli for trainer Harry Poulton and owners Thestable Locatelli Group and Hutchison Harness LLC.

Locatelli starts outside a solid rival in Sermon, a 6-year-old from the Per Engblom stable that made a break in the opening New Holland leg but bounced back nicely with a 1:53 2/5 effort on March 13 for driver Bob McClure.

First leg winner Ritson (post six) and the 5-year-old mare HP Mama B (post four) have shown the talent to win at this level, with HP Mama B a top-class mare that has a 1:51 4/5 mark over this surface.

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MacDonald has only driven Nautical Hanover twice, but he's been more than impressed with the talent and potential of this budding star.

"He was electric last week," said MacDonald of the Ben Baillorgeon-trained stallion that made a blistering move on the backstretch and then won convincingly in 1:51 1/5 in the second round of the New Holland Pacing Series.

"He was just terrific in his first start," MacDonald said of the race on March 11 when Nautical Hanover came from sixth at the half and swept the field, kicking home in 26 2/5 of a 1:50 3/5 career-equaling clocking.

"They'll be looking for him," said MacDonald of Nautical Hanover, who drew post eight in the seventh race at Woodbine Mohawk Park. The driver's suggestion was that post wouldn't be a concern because the horse's performance is likely to earn the respect of rivals, especially when racing for big money.

While MacDonald is quite confident, Nautical Hanover faces a solid field that includes Snowshoe Series champion Camara Moment (post nine), a 4-year-old gelded son of Control The Moment that has captured six of eight starts this year. His win streak was broken in the March 18 second New Holland leg where he struggled in the early stages and was some 19 lengths off the field at the halfway mark, eventually finishing seventh by around six lengths. Prior to that mysterious outing, Camara Moment took a career-best 1:49 4/5 record in the March 11 first leg of the New Holland Series, getting the better of finalist The Longest Yard by a head at the wire.

The Longest Yard (post four) was used hard during the middle-half in last week's second leg, losing contact with Nautical Hanover after that one cleared the lead at three-quarters. The son of Rockin Image has a 1:50 2/5 record taken at Harrah's Hoosier Park last year.

The New Holland final has a pair of quality horses on the inside of the field with Southbeach Hanover (post one) and Ario Hanover (post two) hoping for an upset. The former drew poorly in the elimination legs but previously was a winner in 1:49 4/5 over this surface on March 4. Ario Hanover was a solid second behind Nautical Hanover in the first leg but never got involved in round two, finishing fifth after racing far off-the-pace.

MacDonald likes his chances on Saturday night and is focused on continued success through the 2023 season.

"My focus is on trying to be consistent and doing the best I can behind the horses I drive," MacDonald said.

The 13-race Saturday card at Woodbine Mohawk Park gets underway at 7:00 P.M. It will be the last card before the track takes a week break and returns on April 1 with an early 6:00 P.M. post.