by James Witherite, Vernon Downs racing media

Vernon, NY — Having won earlier on the card with Make It Kate ($14.00) and HMS Firecracker ($4.70), driver John MacDonald tallied his 3,000th career win in Wednesday (Sept. 30) evening’s sixth race at Vernon Downs, capturing the second-level conditioned pace for mares with the pacesetting I Saw Red ($5.80).

Fotowon photo

John MacDonald is acknowledged in the winner’s enclosure following his 3,000th career driving win, which came in the sixth race at Vernon Downs behind I Saw Red.

Beginning from the extreme inside in the field of nine, MacDonald sent the 4-year-old If I Can Dream mare up the pegs to secure the lead, forcing Shelby Lu (Dan Daley) in the pocket and setting sectionals of :28.2, :57.2, and 1:25.4 while uncontested. At the top of the stretch, Shelby Lu vacated the pocket to give chase, but I Saw Red responded, just holding sway by a neck in 1:55.3.

MacDonald, a 33-year-old native of Charlottetown, PEI, has amassed 123 driving wins so far this year en route to the 3,000-win plateau. His career single-season mark came in 2009, when he won 411 of 1,706 races in Ontario and the Maritime provinces. He currently ranks second in the Vernon Downs standings, trailing just Chris Lems with two months remaining in the 2015 meet.

The evening’s featured $7,000 top-level distaff pace saw Looney Dune ($4.10) repel a challenge from the first-over Summer Snow (Lems) on the far turn and subsequently draw clear of pocket rival Express Jet (MacDonald) by 4-1/2 lengths for a 1:52.1 victory. Ben McNeil drove the 7-year-old Bettor’s Delight mare for owner Ellen McNeil and trainer John McNeil III.

Live racing returns to the Miracle Mile on Friday (Oct. 2) evening, with the first of 10 races due off at 6:45 p.m.