It’s Not Always About The Money

A three-time winner of the O'Brien Award for Driver of the Year in Canada, Jody Jamieson has won some of North America’s biggest races - some with purses over $1 million. This year he looks to add a special race to his resume, but it’s not one that goes for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Jamieson’s target right now is the Gold Cup & Saucer in Charlottetown, PEI.

“I’m from Nova Scotia, not quite PEI, but it doesn't matter what part of Canada you are from, the Gold Cup & Saucer is a special event, and I think everyone somewhat thinks of it as their own,” Jamieson said when discussing the impact of the $60,000 race slated for Saturday, August 18.

“It’s important because it’s got everything and more you could want from a stakes race... it has the pomp and the pageantry. Unfortunately it doesn’t go for a lot of money, but if we all got into the horse business for the money we would have been out of it a long time ago.”

Though Jamieson has raced in the final before, his memories of it aren’t the fondest, with his best finish being a third. He’s hopeful this year will be different.

“I've raced in the final three times, won two trials and the consolation, which was a lot of fun, but I don't really have fond memories of the final. I was third with Ramonne for Jeff Gillis, I think that was my best chance, but he made a bobble up the backside. I was following the winner [Sand Olls Dexter] at the time, not to say I would have won if he didn’t make the bobble.”

His horse this year, trained by wife Stephanie, and owned by John Mehlenbacher of Oakville, Ontario, is ASAP Hanover (p,1:50.2s; $228,749). The six-year-old son of Somebeachsomewhere drew post position four in Trial #2 on Monday night at Red Shores Charlottetown.

“ASAP Hanover left [Wednesday] morning and he will stay down regardless, until a few days after the final. He’s got two races if things go well, either in the consolation on the Friday or the final on Saturday. This is a very serious horse -- a really good horse, and I believe he has a legitimate chance,” Jamieson said. “I’m fortunate enough to have John [Mehlenbacher] let me take his horse down.”

The WEG regular is also happy to be taking a few days to relax out east with his family. “I’m going to drive at Charlottetown on Monday night, but it's also a family vacation. I'm coming back Wednesday for the two-year-old pacing colts and fillies [OSS Gold] at Grand River, and then heading back again on Thursday to be with my family. My kids left [Wednesday] morning with my dad in the motorhome, and once I get there, the vacation begins. I don’t play a lot of golf, but I plan on playing while I'm down there. I'm also going to take my son fishing one of those days...it's gonna be a lot of fun.

“Being in PEI, being a part of everything, they do such an incredible job. The people, the countryside, just everything. Charlottetown, PEI is a majestic city, people are there for all different reasons during Old Home Week but everybody seems to know there’s a horse race going on...To be around people with a similar passion for harness racing as my family and I do will be special,” Jamieson noted.

Although the Jamieson family moved to Ontario when he was 10 years old, Jody has some memories of what the Gold Cup & Saucer was like as a young child among the chaotically-packed grandstand.

“I was there [a few times] but I don't remember a whole lot about the race...I remember, just like anyone looking at the Post Calls [for results], or wherever I could, when we moved to Ontario. I missed a lot of it in person because we moved when I was 10. I remember [one year] my sister getting lost in the grandstand and my mom freaking out. Customer Service had to make an announcement that they had found a little girl but that’s how many people were there.”

Even though Jamieson was living in Ontario, the bug to win one of Canada’s most illustrious races just continued to grow. “As I got older and started driving more, I recall being in envy and awe and wanting to win the race,” he recalls. “For me, though, over the last number of years there's always been a major stakes race at home that I've been unable to miss.”

This year, with a mid-week flight back to Ontario for a day, he’s just making it happen.

Jamieson thinks the spectacle that is put on during Old Home Week is something that racing here in Ontario could learn from. “I think Ontario could do a million things to replicate what Red Shores and PEI have put into harness racing. We could add the pomp and pageantry to a few more races here and make festivals of racing. We’re in survival mode still here, and we probably need more money, but they race for barely any money down there and they still are able to put on Old Home Week. They are quite a crew down there, they do a hell of a job.”

(A Trot Insider Exclusive by Justin Fisher)