As the 2011 standardbred racing season came to a close on Saturday afternoon at Woodbine Racetrack, driver Jody Jamieson and trainer Jeff Gillis proved once again they are a force to be reckoned with
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Jamieson and Gillis took top honours on the Woodbine Entertainment Group (WEG) circuit, finishing atop the 2011 driver and trainer standings.
Jamieson captured his third WEG driving title with 328 wins in 1,516 outings between Woodbine and Mohawk. The reinsman also banked $9,041,370 in purse earnings, the most he has ever earned racing on the WEG circuit.
Sylvain Filion finished second with 234 wins in 1,667 starts and $5,255,197 in earnings.
The 94 win difference between Jamieson and Filion is the largest margin of victory since 2002 when Chris Christoforou took the top spot, winning 105 more dashes than runner-up Paul MacDonell.
Jamieson, who has been nominated for a 2011 O’Brien Award in the Driver of the Year category, found the winner’s circle in 29 of WEG’s stakes events in 2011, including two Breeders Crowns, two Ontario Sires Stakes Super Finals and the Milton Stakes.
But he says nothing compares to winning the $1.5 million Pepsi North America Cup at Mohawk with Up The Credit, one of his father, Carl’s trainees. It’s a victory that Jamieson will treasure.
“I won the Ontario Regional Driving Championship, I won the National Driving Championship and I won the World Driving Championship,” said the 35-year-old Moffat resident. “Not that those don’t rank way up there on my list, but winning the North America Cup for my dad is the highlight of my career, not just my year.”
Jamieson, a two-time O’Brien Award winning driver, gives credit where credit is due in regards to his success, thanking the trainers and owners for all the high-profile horses he’s had an opportunity to drive this year. He is also grateful for the partnership he shares with WEG’s leading trainer.
“That’s why I am the leading driver,” he stated. “A lot of it has to do with Jeff. He races a lot of horses and wins a lot of races. I am his number one driver and I appreciate that to the end of the earth. If it wasn’t for him I would have about 90 or so less wins. It’s been a great partnership and I hope it lasts for a long time.”
Gillis, who was the leading trainer of the 2010/2011 Woodbine winter meet with Jamieson at his side as the top driver, went on to have a career year.
His stable produced 99 wins in 608 starts with $3,248,083 in purse earnings between the Rexdale and Campbellville ovals, which ultimately secured him his first WEG training title.
Tony O’Sullivan, who was the leading trainer at the Mohawk summer meet, finished a close second with 94 victories in 548 starts and $2,805,298 in earnings.
Gillis feels it’s a great honour to finish atop of the standings on the WEG scene.
“It’s pretty elite company who has accomplished that,” said the 34-year-old Hillsburgh resident. “I am very proud of that.
“Having good owners and good help will bring good horses,” Gillis explained. “I think it’s kind of been in that order. You have to be around the right people first and then the horses will come.”
His top performers this year were Breeders Crown champion Frenchfrysnvinegar, OSS Super Final winner Mister Herbie, Mystician, a top three-year-old colt in the OSS program, and Champlain Stakes winner Speed Again.
All four horses have aided in making 2011 a standout year for Gillis, and as a result, he has received his first O’Brien Award nomination in the Trainer of the Year category.
“You never know how things will go in this business or if you’ll ever have the opportunity to accomplish something like that again, so I am going to try and cherish it and enjoy it,” he said.
Live standardbred racing will return on Monday, January 2 with a 12-race program. First race post time is set for 7:10 p.m.
(WEG)