Despite a year filled with challenges, trainer/driver Gilles Barrieau worked his magic once again, conjuring up an O’Brien Award-worthy campaign with his stellar horsemanship and hard work.
The ‘Maritime Magic Man’ is in the running to win a record third O’Brien Award of Horsemanship, which honours trainer-driver candidates who best exemplify the standard of horsemanship demonstrated by the late Hall of Fame Maritimer Joe O’Brien. Barrieau won his first O’Brien Award back in 2005 and a second one more recently in 2019.
“It’s an honour. Anytime you get a mention like that, it’s just a great honour,” said Barrieau, who is a finalist for the national harness racing award alongside Western Canadian trainer/driver Kelly Hoerdt. “I’ve won it twice, but to get nominated again is a big honour. It’s always great to get recognized like that, especially all over Canada.”
The nomination comes after another successful season during which Barrieau trained winners of 44 races from 120 starts while boasting a UTRS of 0.552 -- the highest in Canada for trainers with at least 10 starts. The 2020 campaign marked the third consecutive year and fifth time in his career that he recorded a training average topping 0.500. His trainees' seasonal earnings of more than $227,000 was the most for his stable in over a decade.
On the driving side, the veteran horseman earned 174 wins from 684 races and more than $495,000 in purses -- just $15,000 shy of a career-best year -- while he held steady with an impressive UDRS of 0.407 that was fourth-best in all of North America for drivers with 500+ starts.
The year 2020 certainly did not shape up like anyone had expected, causing plans to be put on hold for many, including Barrieau, who overcame the obstacles he faced and still produced some of the best stats of his career.
With plans underway prior to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Barrieau had decided to permanently relocate from his home base in Saint John, N.B. to P.E.I., but that move was delayed when regional restrictions came into effect during the first wave last spring.
Barrieau had already shipped his stable to P.E.I., but was unable to follow suit for a month.
“When I shipped them over, I lost a month really,” he explained. “The horses were racing good for other drivers, so I was glad for that. I was just happy the stable went good until I got here... It’s just one of those things. I just couldn’t come over, but at least the horses raced good.”
When Barrieau was finally able to join his stable and return to racing action himself, he trained and drove numerous stakes winners, including the Camystic colt Tobins Rebel, who put together a sophomore record of 9-3-2 from 15 starts while banking $66,397 for owner Daniel Ross. Red Dirt Star, Steel Reefer and Dustylanegoliath were other notables.
Tobins Rebel and Gilles Barrieau, victorious at Red Shores Charlotettown
“Tobins Rebel was a nice three-year-old that made more than $60,000,” said Barrieau, reflecting on his stable stars. “He wasn’t a sound colt by any means. I started the season and I said we’re just going to go start-to-start and see what happens, and he lasted all summer. The last two starts, we had to shut him down. We’re grateful that we got the run that we did out of him and he made $60,000. He was one of the better three-year-olds around and he sure was the icing on the cake.
“I had some nice two-year-olds too that stepped up and even the ones we had in Ontario,” he added.
In particular, Rose Run Vantage went over a quarter of a million dollars in earnings during her sophomore season in Ontario and Champlain Stakes winner Twin B Eagle was the fastest two-year-old pacing gelding last year in Canada courtesy of his 1:51.2 mile at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
“So, just everything from the Maritimes to Ontario, the last two years have been really good actually.”
Barrieau’s stable of 15 includes a mix of Maritime and Ontario-breds that he works with to develop their talent.
“I like to keep it at 10 or 12 really so I can manage everything,” said the hands-on horseman. “My owner, Wayne MacRae, likes the Ontario circuit and has had quite a bit of success there lately. He likes the Ontario-breds, so I train them down, race them once or twice and ship them up, so that’s my deal with them.
“Come summertime, I don’t train that many really, I just keep the best. And like I say, there’s four or five that usually end up in Ontario, so whatever I have left here I have to make do with what I’ve got. And last year it just so happened that I had a good crop of two-year-olds, and my three-year-olds from the year before, they came back good. It’s just one of those things, everything fell into place and they stayed good all summer and fall. You know what it’s like, this business is pretty flexible. We just had a good run.”
It takes more than good horses to contribute to a good run in the racing business though. Proper care and management by a skilled horseman is key, backed by a good team.
“It’s a team effort for me,” noted Barrieau respectfully. “I have good help and a good wife behind me, and the owners are exceptional too. I’ve had the same bunch of owners I’ve had for two decades probably. They let me buy whatever I want, they let me manage them. I mean, owners are a big part. To have my owners as long as I’ve had, that tells you something.”
Annually hosted by Standardbred Canada in Mississauga, Ont., this year’s O’Brien Awards Gala will be a virtual event due to the current provincial stay-at-home order. Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park in P.E.I. has planned an O’Brien Awards VIP Gala in Top of the Park on Sunday, Jan. 31 in conjunction with the digital presentation. Barrieau plans to celebrate at the track with family and friends.
“Win, lose or draw, it’s going to be a nice evening and a nice night out,” said Barrieau, who already has seven driving wins under his belt thus far in 2021 at the only harness track operating right now in Canada. “I’m grateful they put something like that on.”
The 2020 Virtual O’Brien Awards Gala takes place on Sunday, January 31, 2021 and will be available for viewing on standardbredcanada.ca from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. (EST).