Jody Jamieson Jumps Into Breeders Crown

While Tim Tetrick quests for the record books, there is another young gun rapidly on the rise in harness racing: Jody Jamieson.

The Canadian-based driver looks to make his mark at the Meadowlands on Saturday in the $4.7 million Breeders Crown Championships for young horses. Jamieson will pilot horses in four of the eight stakes on the card, including morning line favorites Tell All in the $555,000 Three-Year-Old Colt Pace and his own Santanna Blue Chip in the $650,000 Two-Year-Old Colt Pace. His other contenders are Satin Pillows in the $650,000 Two-Year-Old Filly Trot and Elusive Prey in the $500,000 Three-Year-Old Filly Pace.

Jamieson, who was named the sport’s Rising Star by the United States Harness Writers Association last year, currently ranks sixth in earnings among all drivers in North America with $9.3 million. In his native Ontario, the 31-year-old ranks second in victories at Woodbine and Mohawk.

“This has by far been better than last year for me,” Jamieson said. “The wins number dropped but we’ve got a good six weeks left, including the Breeders Crown. I’ve got a real good chance of getting up over $10 million. That was my target all along.

“I also wanted to win 500 races, but I just haven’t had the opportunity,” he added. “I refuse to race seven days a week. I have a young daughter at home, and I want to spend as much time with her as possible.”

The highlights of Jamieson’s career season so far have been with Tell All. They teamed to win two of the sport’s premier events, the North America Cup in Canada and the Little Brown Jug in Ohio, which have helped make Jamieson a ‘go-to guy’ when big money is on the line.

“I put my name out there, got some people to trust in me and my ability,” Jamieson noted. “Winning the North America Cup, the Jug and the Confederation Cup were big stepping stone for me. Up until this year, when you mentioned my name, you might have thought of Doonbeg [a top pacer in Canada], but obviously now it’s Tell All. However, more and more people are starting to realize Jody Jamieson is a driver, not just the winner of those big races with one horse.”

The son of prominent Ontario trainer Carl Jamieson, Jody began to gain attention when he won the 2001 World Driving Championship at age 25. However, it was a year ago that his earnings rocketed from $5 million to $9 million.

“When I was young I always wanted to be the best driver in the world, and, at the time, I thought the World Driving Championship would help me,” he said. “At least for that one day it felt very, very special. But I realized afterwards that I was still young and had an awful lot to learn. Now, seven years later, I think I’ve matured. I learned what I need to do to win races on a consistent basis and now win those big events.”

After a solid 1:50.4 victory in his elimination race last week, Tell All was given the nod as the 5-2 favorite in the $555,000 Three-Year-Old Colt Pace. Jamieson and trainer Blair Burgess chose to start the colt from post two in the final, a privileged earned by his elimination win. Tell All came first-over at the half, avoided Artzina who broke stride on the final turn, and, despite getting a bit crooked in the lane, held off Watta Hotshot.

“I got away around fifth or sixth, and I thought for sure I’d get second-over cover,” Jamieson said of the elimination race. “When Pat [Lachance and Forensic Z Tam] didn’t move his horse it was getting late in the race, so I wasn’t too concerned being first-up. John [Campbell and Artzina] kind of got out of the way there and had to come out, there was not a lot of room on the inside so I had to come out and I had to really pull him over.

“He’s never stirred any worse than he did [in the elimination] and he was a workout, no question,” he continued. “He did that at the [Meadowlands] Pace, and he’s done that everywhere he’s been. It’s all in his head. He just likes messing around out there. I think it’s just all a joke to him. I don’t know if it’s that he hasn’t matured or if it’s just become a habit to him now. I think if he ever matured and got to race [at four and five] he’d be a killer.”

One character trait of the colt Jamieson does appreciate is his swift late kick. He was in tow when Tell All took a mark of 1:48.3 at Lexington’s Red Mile on Oct. 6. “When Tell All flew home in :25.4 and 1:48.3 at the Red Mile, he just did it so easily,” Jamieson said. “It’s just unbelievable what that track can do to a horse. Tell All is a great horse and he deserves a mark like that.”

Jamieson also recalled a scary moment on the track three weeks ago that could have potentially derailed Tell All’s Breeders Crown bid. “In the Gold Cup at Woodbine, I got interfered with,” he said. “I was second-over, stalled behind some dead cover. I wanted to go three-wide, he took a bad step and we ended up touching a wheel. Thank God, he wasn’t hurt.”

While Jamieson would relish a Breeders Crown trophy from any of his drives, there is one win that would be particularly sweet. He owns a share of Santanna Blue Chip, the 5-2 favorite in the $650,000 Two-Year-Old Colt Pace. Santanna Blue Chip is one of three colts in the final trained by his father, Carl. “I’m proud to say I own a quarter of Santanna Blue Chip and he hasn’t really been a surprise,” he said. “When we signed for him at Harrisburg [yearling sale], my partner said we just bought the winner of the Metro [Canada’s premier event for two-year-olds] and we were only two lengths off that [finishing third]. We were thrilled to win the Governor’s Cup with him. He and Robert’s Rage have just gotten better as the year has gone on. They’re both late foals and they’re just getting stronger.” (The Meadowlands)

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