Harbourlite Jerry made the headlines on the Standardbred Canada website in the summer of 2017 when he provided trainer Ralph Jardine with his first win in roughly 30 years.
Now, the Jeremes Jet gelding is making the news for unique reasons yet again.
Harbourlite Jerry has not provided another conditioner with a memorable win, but he was recently at the centre of a rare multi-generational driving feat that includes no less than four relatives.
After having been sent off as the odds-on choice in a $1,100 overnight this past weekend at the Charlottetown Driving Park, Harbourlite Jerry came first-up and won the contest with a 2:01.3 mile. He did so for his trainer, Harold Shepherd, who was also calling the shots in the sulky during the win.
On the surface, the race and its result were rather nondescript, but Jardine has informed Trot Insider that the victory did hold some added significance.
Courtesy of his victory on Saturday, Harbourlite Jerry now has the distinction of been steered to victory by Harold Shepherd and his three sons, Robert, Patrick and Steven. Robert won with the gelding at The Raceway at Western Fair District in the fall of 2014. Three years later, Patrick tasted victory with Harbourlite Jerry at Hanover Raceway. Steven would follow suit just three months after that, as he notched a September 2017 win with the then-six-year-old.
“I bred the horse and have raced him myself here in Ontario until last summer,” Jardine has told Trot Insider. “His ability makes him a handier horse in P.E.I. than here, so Steve and I made a deal to ship him east.
“Robert and Patrick won with him here in Ontario and then Steve and finally Harold won with him in P.E.I. When I was down for Old Home Week, Steve and I talked about how cool it would be to get his dad a win on ‘Jerry,’ as the three boys already had won races with him.”
Harbourlite Jerry has now won 17 of his 148 career starts to go along with 21 second-place efforts and 18 thirds. He has banked over $65,000 in purses during his racing career. Harbourlite Jerry lowered his mark just two months ago, as he converted a Post 1 start and a pocket trip into a 1:55.3 win over the CDP.