Mike MacDonald 
     
    
   
   
    
     own hard work. talent. determination. 
     
     insight. the support ol‘ his family and 
     
    
   
   
    
     some lttck. he managed to do yery well. 
     
    
   
   
    
     The list of people that .\like worked for 
     
     and consequently learned from included 
     
     Francis .\Iclsaac. Buddy (Iamphell. ~lim 
     
     .\Iact‘n‘egor. ‘Ioe O'Brien. Alohn Patterson 
     
     Sr.. Haryey (,Iormier. Stanley .\Iayhew and 
     
     Rulin Barrieau. The person that .\Iike 
     
     respected most in the gatne was Tim 
     
     Doherty. Mike said he was a gentleman 
     
     and a top trainer and driyer. .\Iike added 
     
     that lim .\lacGregor always gaye him 
     
    
   
   
    
     good adyice too. 
     
    
   
   
    
     .\like's stahle usually included I- or 18 
     
     horses Some who worked for him were 
     
     .Ioey Shea. Steye (Iharlton. \Iody 
     
     llennessey. Gordie Ford. lamie Smith. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Amhyr .\lacPhee and .\1ark .\lacl)onald. 
     
    
   
   
    
     .\like had some sound adyicc lor yottngs 
     
     sters contetnplating a lite with the horses. 
     
     He explained. “They haye to make up 
     
     their minds to leaye home at one time or 
     
     another if they are going to make harness 
     
     racing their me. They haye to he ahle to 
     
    
   
   
    
     go where they can do sotne good for 
     
    
   
   
    
        
     
    
   
   
    
     ll 
     
    
   
   
    
     ‘l ‘1. It ‘, l‘ I 
     
    
   
   
    
     " Ii. 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     Behind the Gate 
     
    
   
   
    
     themselyes. There are all kinds ol good 
     
     horsemen in the Atlantic proyinces but 
     
     they are neyer going to achieye what 
     
     they could it they remain home. The 
     
     Atlantic proyinces offer an excellent 
     
     place to start hecause you get so many 
     
     opportunities here that you can‘t get any— 
     
     where else. Here you can train horses 
     
     when you are 12 or 15 but in ;\'Iontreal 
     
     you can‘t eyen get on the track at that 
     
     age." Mike cited young .\1ark MacDonald 
     
     as one who had l‘ollowed this rottte and 
     
     as one to really watch. .\Iike knew from 
     
     experience what he was talking about. 
     
    
   
   
    
     ()n a l’riday eyening. August 13. 3003. 
     
     Mike won the (Eold Cup and Saucer con— 
     
     solation with his horse l/(H'HI(NI_]' l’. 
     
     ’l'wenty—l‘our hours later it appeared. at 
     
     the top ol the stretch. that .\like and 
     
     llz/I'moltt' /’ would also win the prestir 
     
     giotts (}old (Iup and Saucer. making it 
     
     .\Iike's sixth \‘ictory; howeyet‘. alter one 
     
     ()l‘ the most dramatic stretch d1‘i\'es in 
     
     Gold (?up and Saucer history and a 
     
     thrilling photolinish. Sand ()//s Day/er 
     
     and .\1ark MacDonald emerged \‘ictorious. 
     
    
   
   
    
     The student had succeeded his mentor. 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
         
     
    
   
   
    
     90 199% (iold (Cup presentation by It. (ioy. .\larion Reid. Photo: (iuardian l’hoto