The leading driver at Woodbine Mohawk Park is a favorite for a fourth consecutive Driver of the Year Award in Canada and was a finalist to Dexter Dunn for the top reinsman award in the U.S.

by Melissa Keith

James MacDonald was the only other driver up against Dexter Dunn for 2024 U.S. Driver of the Year on the USHWA Dan Patch ballot. Although, ultimately, Dunn ended up capturing his fifth North American driving title, MacDonald had the unique distinction of also making the ballot as a top-three finalist in the W.R. Haughton Good Guy Award category as well.

“First off, to be on the ballot with Dexter this year was really special to me,” said MacDonald. “Obviously, I wasn’t going to win, but just to be recognized at that level is a real honor, and one I’m very proud of. Also, the Good Guy Award [nomination] was an absolute shock. It would have been nice to win, but just to be regarded in that conversation is something I’m very proud of.”

Known for positive interactions with fans of all ages and media, MacDonald was nominated for the Good Guy Award by three USHWA chapters (Canada, Keystone, and Monticello-Goshen). The 2024 award was won by Art Zubrod and Leah Cheverie of Fair Island Farm.

At the upcoming O’Brien Awards, MacDonald will defend his Canadian driving crown. He and Louis-Philippe Roy are the two finalists for Canada’s 2024 Keith Waples Driver of the Year Award, with the result to be announced at the Feb. 8 awards banquet. MacDonald has won the last three consecutive Canadian driving titles, a feat last achieved by Doug Brown, who did it twice (1989-91 and 1993-96).

On Dec. 23, MacDonald recorded another historic triple, becoming the first driver to reach 400 wins in three straight years at Mohawk. No other Woodbine circuit driver had surpassed 400 wins since James’ brother, Mark MacDonald, achieved the rare milestone.

James, the 2017 World Driving Champion, also brought home the 2024 National Driving Championship title on July 5 at Quebec’s Hippodrome 3R, and will represent Canada at the 2025 World Driving Championships in New Zealand.

James told HRU that he never expected such an extended run of success at Canada’s top track.

“Absolutely not. I’ve always just tried to do my best and win as much as possible. I think I started the same as every other driver, thinking I was likely never going to be good enough to make a job of this,” he said with a laugh.

In a 2014 interview, James said that when he was growing up in PEI, harness racing was less important to him than it was to two of his brothers.

“I didn’t have as much interest in it as Mark and Anthony, but when I graduated high school, Anthony was swamped so I went up [to Ontario] and worked with him,” James said.

The 38-year-old horseman has risen far in the decade since his 1,000th driving win, back on June 22, 2014 at Georgian Downs with pacer Brocks Fortune. As of New Year’s Day 2025, James was nearing his 4,000th win, with 3,954 victories in 28,048 career drives.

“I definitely could have never dreamed of having the success I’ve had,” he said. “Like I said earlier, I’ve always tried to show up with a good attitude and do the best I could. That being said, it’s been a very fun ride.”

In 2024, that “ride” included top horses like Meadowlands and Cane Pace winner Legendary Hanover (p, 3, 1:46.2m; $1,088,681); Its A Love Thing (p, 3, 1:48.2s; $1,044,535), who matched the Canadian and Mohawk track record for 3-year-old pacing fillies in the Fan Hanover final; Chantilly (p, 2, 1:50.2s; $560,315), the Eternal Camnation, Shes A Great Lady, and Ontario Sires Stakes Gold champion; Willys Home Run (3, 1:53s; $704,064), winner of two 2024 OSS Gold legs and Super Final for 3-year-old filly trotters; and Monalishi (2, 1:52.2s; $413,280), who won the Peaceful Way final, Champlain Stake, and an OSS Gold leg for James.

All are 2024 O’Brien Award top-2 finalists.

“All of them were standouts at some point of the season for myself and their connections,” said the Guelph, ON horseman. “It was a fun ride seeing these horses compete on the biggest stages in harness racing. Obviously, Legendary Hanover doing what he did was special. The way people talked about him and the excitement he brought to the track every time was something I will never forget.”

Legendary Hanover has been driven by James in every start of his career but one. The Anthony Beaton trainee was voted Canada’s 2-Year-Old Pacing Colt of the Year in 2023. At 3, Legendary Hanover brought James his first Meadowlands Pace win, as well as his first winning drive in a leg of the Pacing Triple Crown.

Looking back at his best-ever year by earnings and Grand Circuit victories, Mohawk’s leading 2024 reinsman narrowed down his favorite moments to three: “Winning the Meadowlands Pace, definitely getting my first two Breeders Crowns [3-Year-Old Filly Trot with Lady Landia and Open Pace with Coach Stefanos], and, finally, getting to be the regular pilot of Chantilly.”

As he previously addressed in HRU, James’ impressive American results last year have not changed his mind about being based at Mohawk.

“As far as wanting to drive more in the U.S.A., it’s always a lot of fun to travel around and drive great horses, but I love my life and my home in Canada,” James said. “We are lucky to have one of the greatest tracks in the world to race at all year round. The purses here are great, and the Ontario Sires Stakes program is one of the best in the world. Hopefully in 2025 I’m blessed to have the opportunity to drive some really great horses all over North America.”

There have been recent shifts in the Woodbine Mohawk Park driving colony, including extended absences by Doug McNair and the suspended Sylvain Filion, but James said it was still business as usual for him.

“As far as finding a difference in racing at Mohawk currently, I don’t,” he said. “It’s the same track, just new people. You need to find their tendencies, and try and find a way to put your horse in the best spot possible. Anytime you’re missing world-class drivers, it changes things, but it’s still the same goal, find a way to win.”

With his 39th birthday coming up Jan. 10, James said his hopes for the New Year involve driving specific horses, rather than chasing statistics or awards.

“I’m chomping at the bit to get behind Chantilly again,” he said. “She’s shown flashes of something very special in 2024. Hasty Bid [4, 1:50.2m; $524,353], since the time he stepped foot on the racetrack, has given [my wife] Paige and me one thrill after another. We’re hoping 2025 will be no different. Aside from those two, there will be many I’m looking forward to, but mostly just the babies. There is no better feeling than sitting behind a great young horse.”