At Flamboro Downs on Sunday, April 21, Team MacDonald put on a strong display. Ron MacDonald trained three winners on the 10-race card, all of which were led to victory by his son Brett.
Together with Lady All Star, the MacDonald pair quickly made an impression, winning the $8,800 opener for conditioned trotters. Brett MacDonald, starting from post three on the field of seven, was not satisfied to sit in the pocket and ended up parked to a :29.1 first quarter outside of Anthony Haughan and Sollwitt. After making a clean pass on the lead through middle portions of 1:00 and 1:29.3, Lady All Star cleared the second turn. The 6-5 favourite won in 1:59 over Sollwitt by trotting out to a three-length lead on the wire and looking the part in the lane.
In her 14th appearance for Lady All Star this season, the win marked her third straight season. The four-year-old daughter of My MVP-Lady Tini, who is owned by Triple S Equine, has won seven times in her career and amassed $42,697 in lifetime earnings.
Along with American Frontier, the MacDonalds accomplished the early double sweep, earning $20,000 in a company. After a scorching first quarter of :27.2, American Frontier gradually moved up to the lead, starting at post-five. In :57, MacDonald reduced the speed to half, and in 1:24.4, he accelerated to three-quarters. In 1:54.4, American Frontier easily defeated King Jewels and Travis Cullen in the lane, winning by a margin of 3-1/2 lengths.
After nine tries, American Frontier, who was sent off as the 6-5 favourite, won his first race of 2024. The three-time champion son of Somebeachsomewhere-Precious Beauty, owned by Luc Loyer, has a lifetime earnings of $56,222.
Against $8,000 claimers in the seventh race of the evening, the MacDonald team completed their treble. Using the rail position, Brett MacDonald took the lead early with a 3-1 second choice after a first quarter of :27.2. Dreamy Fella and Nello Guglielmi were the first to challenge the leader in the first quarter, winning 1:25.3, and going into the half in :56.4. With MacDonald pushing him in the lane, St Lads Flirt increased his lead as he turned for home 1-3/4 lengths ahead of Dreamy Fella, winning by 2-1/2 in 1:54.3.
St Lads Flirt, owned by Brett MacDonald and Kent Livingston, has won twice already this season. The 12-year-old gelded son of Camluck-Our Wild Angel has won 40 times in his career and has a $214,486 career bankroll.