Standardbreds feed Alina Macleod’s soul

by Chris Lomon

Alina Macleod rarely takes breaks, but when she does, they usually involve horses.

Her days — and often her nights — are filled with caring for her beloved standardbreds.

So, whenever there is an opportunity to speak of them, Macleod will always, quite happily, make time to have that conversation.

And on this morning, she didn’t hesitate to make time for one – even while loading grain pellets for a next day delivery.

“I’m happy to talk now,” Macleod said in a text message.

Horses have always been a happy part of Macleod’s life – from her childhood in British Columbia to her current home in Alberta.

“My parents were involved in racing in the 1980s and my grandfather bred and raised horses,” Macleod said. “My grandfather passed away when I was 6 months old, so my parents got out of the sport for a while. When I was 12, my parents reconnected with some old friends and brought me to the races – I have been hooked ever since then.”

Before she reached her teens, working with horses had already changed Macleod’s life.

Hours spent in the stalls and paddock were a true labor of love.

“Being around the horses, putting all your energy and focus into them and then getting that two-minute adrenaline rush on the track is just an amazing feeling,” Macleod said. “It really does stay with you.”

As have the horses who have come into her life.

“I adore them in every way,” Macleod said. “There is something so special when you work closely with them.”

Macleod’s horse racing journey includes working under the tutelage of British Columbia trainer and driver Randy Rutledge after she finished school.

That experience gave Macleod an opportunity to see a different side of the standardbred world.

“I was at Randy’s farm and got to be around the mares and foals, seeing that aspect of racing, from the start of their lives until they make it to the races for the first time,” Macleod said. “It was a very eye-opening time for me.”

As was her tenure as program coordinator for Greener Pastures. Founded in 2003, the non-profit organization, based in British Columbia, finds long-term forever homes for retired racehorses.

The volunteer-run organization houses horses at a foster farm in Mission, a city found in the Lower Mainland of the province.

“I was at Greener Pastures for eight years – it was so rewarding,” Macleod said. “We had so many special horses who came to us and we were able to find loving homes for them.”

In 2012, Macleod switched gears and entered the training ranks.

She notched her first win courtesy of Red Star Renegade when the son of Village Jiffy (BC)—C L Hallie recorded a 1¼-length victory in 1:59 at Fraser Downs, a five-eighths-mile track in Surrey, BC.

“Just a great moment,” she said. “That first win is always the one that stays with you.”

There have been more treasured moments and memorable horses over the years.

Jakara, a bay daughter of JK Royal Flush (AB)—Daylon Ara, gave Macleod her first victory in Alberta, the win coming last February at Century Downs.

“We found out in the spring that she has a birth defect in her heart, so I retired her, and she is with us now,” she said. “We bred her to Custard The Dragon and she had a healthy colt last week.

“I bought Cenalta Wizard for $1,000 and he won his first start for me,” Macleod said. “We also have Vintage Lass, who finished second in a 3-year-old fillies stakes race at Fraser this past November. We’re very fortunate to have had some nice horses with us along the way.”

Currently, Macleod — who has 68 career training wins — and her husband, Cody Easton, have three horses in their racing stable.

It’s a small operation – and Macleod is just as humble as her numbers suggest.

“As long as I get to be around the horses in some way, I am truly happy,” she said. “I love seeing them develop, finding those diamond-in-the rough types you can work with to bring out the best in them – it is a great feeling to work together with the horses.”

So, it should then come as no surprise that Macleod and her mother have five retired racehorses of their own, who peacefully reside on a farm in Red Deer, a city in central Alberta that Alina and Easton call home.

The 20-acre property is her happy place.

“We love everything about it,” Macleod said. “There are 22 stalls in the barn, there is an indoor arena, an Equi-Ciser, 20 paddocks, and four big fields that are already fenced. And it is so nice for the horses – they can relax and just enjoy life.”

Then there is their family-owned and operated EastMac Feeds, a horse feed company that serves Central Alberta and beyond.

“Business has really picked up so that is making for busy times, but we are completely fine with that,” Macleod said. “We are very lucky where we live because we can head any direction to a lot of racetracks and farms. Cody is still in B.C., but the plan is for him to come and be here full-time in the next little bit. For now, I have some friends helping me out.”

Macleod also has a kindred spirit in her 5-year-old son, whose fondness for all things horses is already evident.

It is very much an instance of like mother, like son.

“He keeps me busy, for sure,” she said. “We have a horse, Red Star Governor, who my mother and I both groomed at different points during his racing days. I have had him for the last 12 years and my son loves to ride him.

“You can see how excited he is to watch the horses races, too. He gets right into it.”

Not unlike his mother.

On May 21 at Century Downs, Macleod might not have been seen by many — but she was certainly heard when Hurrikane Ferrigno, a son of Sweet Lou — A List Hanover, who she trains and co-owns with Easton, began to open up down the lane in the evening’s eighth race.

“I went and watched from another barn, far, far away from the paddock so no one could hear me,” she said. “When he won, I didn’t realize how far away I was from the van to take me to the winner’s circle.”

Cue some more vocals.

“I ended up yelling, ‘Stop the car!’” she said. “It was very funny, but I ended up making it back for the winner’s circle for the photos.”

For Macleod, moments like that — spontaneous, joyful, and horse-filled — are exactly what she lives for.