"He’s On Top Of His Game"
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Carl Jamieson’s journey to the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame will include another road trip, this time to Indiana.
The Hall of Fame will introduce its 2013 inductees at a wine and cheese reception on Friday at Toronto’s Woodbine Racetrack, but the 62-year-old Jamieson, who was elected to the Hall of Fame in the driver/trainer category, has plans on Friday to drive his horse Up The Credit to Hoosier Park for Saturday’s $200,000 Dan Patch Invitational for older pacers.
“Everything hit at the same time,” said Jamieson. He is making sure to clear his calendar for the Aug. 15 induction ceremony.
Up The Credit is one of the horses responsible for helping Jamieson achieve Hall of Fame status. Now a five-year-old, the horse won the 2011 North America Cup and was named Canada’s best three-year-old male pacer. That same season, Jamieson’s Warrawee Needy was voted best two-year-old male pacer.
Warrawee Needy, a four-year-old who last weekend finished second by a nose to Sweet Lou in the Meadowlands Maturity, was among the horses considered for the Dan Patch Invitational, but Jamieson was concerned about the horse’s schedule and thought Up The Credit a viable replacement.
Up The Credit is coming off consecutive wins in the condition ranks at Woodbine, with his most recent being a 1:48.3 triumph that equalled Canada's fastest mile of the season. Warrawee Needy also has a 1:48.3 victory this year, which came in the Preferred at Woodbine on May 4.
“He went a big trip and did all the work himself on the front,” Jamieson said about Up The Credit’s last race. “He’s a very nice horse. He’s on top of his game. I think he’s coming into his own right now.”
Up The Credit did double duty last season, breeding and racing, and was limited to eight starts because of a leg injury in November. He returned to action in April and has won two of six starts. For his career, the son of stallion Western Terror and mare Cantbuymehappiness has won 12 of 40 races and earned $1.23 million.
The four-year-old Warrawee Needy has four wins and three second-places finishes in eight starts this year. He is expected to race on June 1 in the second round of the TVG Free for All Series Championship at the Meadowlands and then head to Tioga Downs for the Roll With Joe on June 9.
“It’s just too much racing – bang, bang, bang – and just a little too much trucking,” said Jamieson. “So I decided not to take him [to the Dan Patch] and Up The Credit has been going so good lately.”
Joining Up The Credit in the Dan Patch field are Hurrikane Kingcole, Paco Labrook, Versado, Rockincam, Fred And Ginger, Dancin Yankee, Bolt The Duer, A Rocknroll Dance and Aracache Hanover. Rockincam is the event’s defending champion and Fred And Ginger is North America's fastest pacer this year, with a 1:48.1 win to his credit in a division of the TVG Free for All Series Championship at the Meadowlands on May 11.
Up The Credit will start from post nine in the 10-horse field with Trace Tetrick handling the driving.
“Nothing is easy, that’s for sure,” said Jamieson. “Everything has to work right to win. It’s not always about speed, you need luck too. There are some good horses in this race. But so is he.”
Following is the Dan Patch Invitational field in post position order with listed drivers and trainers:
1. Hurrikane Kingcole, Brett Miller, John McDermott
2. Paco Labrook, Brad Hanners, Hanners
3. Versado, TBA, Nick Surick
4. Rockincam, Jason Dillander, Richard “Nifty” Norman
5. Fred And Ginger, Ricky Macomber Jr., Ron Burke
6. Dancin Yankee, Ed Hensley, Gary Green
7. Bolt The Duer, Mark MacDonald, Peter Foley
8. A Rocknroll Dance, John Campbell, Jim Mulinix
9. Up The Credit, Trace Tetrick, Carl Jamieson
10. Aracache Hanover, Douglas McNair, Gregg McNair
This story courtesy of Harness Racing Communications, a division of the U.S. Trotting Association. For more information, visit www.ustrotting.com.