Fifth And Five and driver Jody Jamieson picked off stablemate Sugar Man and held off a pylon-skimming Timeisonmyside to win the 67th edition of the $100,000 Gold Cup & Saucer (Grade 3), capping off Old Home Week racing on Saturday, Aug. 22 at Red Shores Racetrack & Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park with a track record-tying performance.
The stallion posted a 1:49.4 mile, which matched the Charlottetown track record established by Miki Shan N in the 2025 Premier's Cup final.
Jamieson secured the pocket for second-tier-starter Fifth And Five by sticking right to the helmet of Doug McNair behind odds-on favourite Sugar Man, who got away with the lead unscathed in a :27.2 opening panel. The parked-out Jordy N (Jason Ryan) forged on to press the leader to the half in :55.4 but dropped back as Sugar Man ripped a :26.3 third quarter, reaching that station in 1:22.2. Fifth And Five, initially left behind, reeled the pacesetter in to be on his back into the final turn.
Jamieson gave Fifth And Five the call at the bottom of the bend while Timeisonmyside (Anthony MacDonald) let loose from third at the pylons. Fifth And Five had the jump on that rival, though, and out-kicked him while bolting by Sugar Man to prevail by a half-length. Sugar Man was third.
“I’m beside myself,” Jamieson said in the winner’s circle. “I literally can’t believe I won the Gold Cup and Saucer. This is the culmination of a whole life of driving horses and being in the horse business. Everybody wants to win this race.”
The victory completed a full-circle moment for Jamieson, whose father, Carl, won the Gold Cup and Saucer with Banner Yankee. Jamieson had once planned to drive Banner Yankee in the final in 2006 but returned to Ontario, only to have that night’s races cancelled because of a power outage.
“I’ve told anybody who would listen that my favourite win of my career was my dad winning with Banner Yankee in the Gold Cup and Saucer,” Jamieson said. “Now my favourite win is me winning the Gold Cup and Saucer with Fifth And Five.”
Jody and Carl Jamieson are the second father-son duo to win the race after Ian and Tyler Moore both drove Gold Cup and Saucer winners.
Jamieson admitted the race carried a different level of pressure despite his victories in some of harness racing’s most prestigious events, including the North America Cup and Little Brown Jug.
“I was nervous,” Jamieson said. “I wanted to win so badly. I knew I had to follow Doug (McNair) around the first turn, and if I could do that and keep up, I would give myself a chance to win.”
For McKinnon, who grew up in Prince Edward Island before establishing himself with the Dave Menary stable in Ontario, the victory fulfilled a dream he had carried since childhood.
“Every day, really,” McKinnon said when asked how often he had imagined the moment. “Every day you wake up, and it has always been the dream to race in this race. From the moment I first touched my first racehorse, this was the one you wanted.”
McKinnon has been part of major victories throughout North America with Team Menary but said nothing compared to winning the Gold Cup and Saucer in front of family and friends.
“Just look around,” McKinnon said. “You don’t see this anywhere else — this winner’s circle, your family and friends, everybody is here. This is what it’s all about. It doesn’t get any better than this.”
McKinnon entered the final with two of the top choices in Fifth And Five and Sugar Man, with the stablemates finishing first and third.
“I loved the way this horse trained this week, and he just seemed extra sharp coming into it,” McKinnon said of Fifth And Five. “I was very confident turning for home, seeing him sitting in the two-hole. I knew we had a good shot with either Sugar Man hanging on or this guy sprinting out of the hole.”
McKinnon also savoured sharing the victory with Jamieson, a fellow East Coaster whom he previously worked for during his career.
“He’s one of the best to do it,” McKinnon said. “I worked for him for a period of time, and we’re great friends. For both of us to get our first Gold Cup and Saucer, it’s a true honour to be involved with Jody. He’s a World Driving Champion and one of the best.”
McKinnon credited owner Pollack Racing LLC of Venetia, Pa., along with Dave Menary, for making the homecoming possible.
“They made this happen,” McKinnon said. “I can never thank them enough for this opportunity. It’s amazing for them to send these two calibre of horses out here for me. I’ll be forever grateful.”
Fifth And Five, a four-year-old son of Bettors Delight-Filou Fly Fast, was bred by Darryl Kaplan of Toronto, Ont. and Roy Sproxton and Harbhajan Singh Dhillon of Brampton, Ont. The win was his second of the year in 14 starts, and he is now 11-for-41 lifetime with $576,633 in bankroll. He paid $8.70 to win.
Fourth-place finisher Ammo received significant consolation in defeat, as his $8,000 cheque brought him millionaire status. The six-year-old Sweet Lou-Beach Gal entire, driven by Marc Campbell, saved ground throughout and chased the top three home for fourth for trainer Ron Matheson and owners Patrick Morris of Charlottetown and Woodmere Farms of Marshfield, P.E.I. He now has $1,005,164 in earnings and 23 wins in 99 starts.
The Gold Cup victory completed a driving triple for Jamieson, who also won with Pauls Crown ($8) in 1:54 for trainer Stanley Harper and The Tulsa King ($3.60) in 1:54.4 for trainer Mike McGuigan on the night card.
Marc Campbell recorded four victories on the evening program to set a new Old Home Week win record with 34 victories and win the Francis MacIsaac Memorial Award for top driver of the week.
Shanghai Whiskey ($3.50) captured the first $26,200 Joe O’Brien Memorial Gold division for three-year-old pacing colts by three-quarters of a length over Cattle Call (Gilles Barrieau). Goose Commander (Jason Hughes) was third. Campbell piloted the winning son of Shanghai Phil-Julep Hanover in the 1:53.4 mile for owner-trainer-breeder Wade Myers of Charlottetown, P.E.I.
Campbell also won with Starship Glyde ($7.60) in 1:51.4 for trainer Earl Watts, Chikaboom ($3.10) in 1:55.1 for Harold Duguay and Bohannon ($4) in 1:57 for Carson Wilkie to complete a driving grand slam.
The other $26,200 Joe O’Brien Memorial Gold division went to Zero Two Sixty ($3.40) and driver David Dowling in 1:55.1 for trainer Sifroi Melanson. Woodmere Mahomes (Barrieau) finished second by a neck with Windemere Britt (Paul Langille) third. Zero Two Sixty, a gelded son of Tobago Cays-J J Mistress, is owned by Ultimate Stable of Greater Lakeburn, N.B.
Fight Song ($7.50) handily defeated arch-rival Buckhead Ridge in the $8,000 Colonel Dan Trot for trainer Ashley Gamester and owner Donald MacRae of Vernon Bridge, P.E.I. The Kadabra-Fortunes Of Fables gelding controlled every fraction for driver Jason Hughes before winning by 3-1/2 lengths in 1:54.4. West River Jet (Ken MacDonald) was third. Fight Song has traded blows with Buckhead Ridge over the last month, with the score now level at two wins apiece in that span.
Hughes and Gamester also won the $10,000 Premier’s Pace with Bee Two Bee ($3.60) in 1:54.2. Bee Two Bee, third in last year's Gold Cup and Saucer, set the tempo in Saturday's contest and was home a quarter-length in front of Gigis Dream (Marc Campbell) with Fast Louie (David Dowling) third. The nine-year-old Sunshine Beach-Bee Fullof Steinam stallion is owned by MacRae and Blair MacLauchlan of Charlottetown.
Hughes drove Badgirl Bridgette ($4.50) to a 1:52.4 score in the $5,550 Fillies and Mares Preferred Pace for owner-trainer William Lanigan of Montague, P.E.I. The four-year-old Stonebridge Terror-Whatabadgirl mare closed off sharp fractions to win by 1-1/2 lengths over Trumps Girl (Anthony MacDonald), followed by Rosetown Mary (Corey MacPherson). The mile stamped Badgirl Bridgette as the fastest Atlantic-bred mare ever on the East Coast, eclipsing the 1:53.1 mark set by Woodmere Skyroller and Sensational Gal
Miraculous Desbi N ($4.60) won the $15,000 P.E.I. Harness Racing Industry Association Invitational, the feature race on the afternoon program, for driver Louis-Philippe Roy and trainer Jacques Dupont. The New Zealand-bred pacer was third through :28 and :56.4 early fractions, went into the breeze nearing three-quarters in 1:25, and collared Get Wings (Campbell) by half a length in the 1:52.1 victory. Storm Shadow (Mike Downey) completed the triactor. The winning six-year-old son of Bettors Delight-Kelly Maguire scored his third win this year in 25 tries for owner Ecurie CSL of Sorel-Tracy, Que. He is 11-for-56 with $169,121 in career earnings.
Two win streaks stayed intact on the card as both Blazing Cays and Captain Tate scored their sixth consecutive victories.
Blazing Cays ($2.60) burned his opponents with a 7-1/4-length rout in the second $13,100 Joe O'Brien Memorial Grassroots division for three-year-old male pacers. He set the early fractions of :27.3 and :56.3 for trainer-driver Darren Crowe, grew his lead going to three-quarters in 1:26 and drew away as he paced to the line in 1:56. Rollwiththewarden (Corey MacPherson) finished second, followed by Regret Nothing (Paul Langille). Blazing Cays has reeled off six straight wins after a zero-for-three start to the year. The Tobago Cays-Jenna Grace gelding, owned by Keith and Lewis MacDonell of Port Hood, N.S. and Route Nineteen Racing of Judique, N.S., is now eight-for-15 lifetime with $21,521 in the bank.
Captain Tate ($5.70) completed the card with a blowout performance in a conditioned event. The three-year-old Captain Crunch-Ginger Tree Nina colt set fractions of :28, :57.1 and 1:25.4 and fired home to a 1:54.2 victory, eight lengths the best over Mr Harris (Marc Campbell), with Cincinattus (Brady Galliers) third. Adam Merner had the lines for trainer Walter Walker and owner James MacInnis of Halifax, N.S. as the colt, with 11 wins in 15 starts this year, moved his career record to 11-for-20 and his earnings to $11,791.
The other afternoon Joe O’Brien Memorial Grassroots divisions were won by Bet On Evil ($4.70) and Dowling in 1:56 for trainer Jennifer Doyle, Blazing Cays ($2.60) and trainer-driver Darren Crowe in 1:56 and Tobins Nibbler ($14.10) with Hughes in 1:55.2 for Gamester.
Oceanview Banjo ($7.40) won the $4,550 Claybourne Memorial Trot in 2:00.1 for driver Corey MacPherson and trainer George Rennison.
A total of $661,429 was wagered over the Gold Cup Day doubleheader, including $573,120 on the evening program and $88,309 during the afternoon card.
Live racing continues at Red Shores Summerside on Tuesday at 6 p.m.
To view Saturday's harness racing results, click the following link: Saturday Results - Charlottetown Driving Park.
(Standardbred Canada)