In a move that shouldn't come as much of a surprise given the current state of harness racing in Ontario, multiple O'Brien Award and World Driving Championship victor Jody Jamieson will be making the trip to Buffalo Raceway on Wednesday night. How regular of an occurrence this becomes remains the key question mark.
With opportunities for drives drying up in Ontario, Jamieson isn't the first horsemen to look outside the province's borders. On Sunday, Aaron & Jeff Byron teamed up to win the $16,000 Open Pace at Tioga Downs with Windsun Callum. The Byrons have shipped a number of horses state-side and have set up a stable in New York.
"With the destruction of standardbred horse racing by this Liberal government, horsepeople all over the province are left with few opportunities for their horses," Jamieson told Trot Insider. "I've been asked by a couple of trainers to go to Buffalo so I've committed to a couple of Wednesdays so far."
While those horses didn't draw in, Jamieson will still drive there having made the commitment to the race office that he'd be an available driver. As for future Wednesdays, Jamieson will employ a wait-and-see approach.
"I'll see how it goes and how busy I am with Grand Circuit and whatever is left in Ontario."
Jamieson is down to drive 10 horses on Wednesday night at Buffalo. Also among the Canadian-based horsemen entered is trainer-driver Nick Boyd, with other familiar names on the ownership side including Charalambos Christoforou, Ian Fleming and Jim Whelan. To view the entries, click the following link: Wednesday Entries - Buffalo Raceway.
This is a good move on Jodys
This is a good move on Jodys part.There is a lot of opportunity there.He should really shine as one of the best in his class of outstanding drivers.
Did jody show up as a review
Did jody show up as a review of the results show he went unplaced? So much for good publicity. No word from the publicity director at hamburg downs
How come he didn't drive
How come he didn't drive there then? He was listed on 10 drives
GOD BLESS JODY JAMIESON This
GOD BLESS JODY JAMIESON This man is of great talent. Never met him but I have raced with,worked for,and known some GREAT TALENT in my time...Outsider now but follow daily and I have to say EVERYBODY lets wish Jody and anyone of you the BEST of LUCK in all your ventures!!! GO GET'EM JODY and may the force be with you !!!
Mr Riga, what you say is spot
Mr Riga, what you say is spot on but what should be far more troubling for the industry as a whole, then Jody having to go to buffalo to drive, is the tracks in the states that have slots have learned no lessons from what has happened in ontario. The tracks in ontario thought the slot money would roll in for ever and did nothing to retain their gambling base or to build their gambling base by competing for the next generation of gamblers by reducing takeout. The tracks in the states that have slots now have the same opportunity as the tracks in ontario had for 15 years to reduce takeout and offer gamblers a more competitive product but this won't happen because this industry is very slow to learn from there mistakes. Always have been, and sadly probably always will be and that's why the industry in ontario is in the mess it is currently in and that's why the tracks in the states are on borrowed time to join them.
I wish Jody well but
I wish Jody well but truthfully I stopped caring about racing when racing stopped caring about it's true bread and butter... the fans and the bettors. During the time the slots program was thriving racing had every opportunity to showcase racing and attract fans. It could've started by reducing the takeouts, offering incentives etc. Instead it chose to do nothing, assuming the money would roll in forever. Now unfortuantely it is getting a wake up call and it may be too late.
This couldn't really come as
This couldn't really come as a huge shock to anyone. Many of the States south of the border have borrowed from the slots at racetracks program that Ontario successfully conducted for many years, and are now successful in their own right. Unfortunately there are a pair of blundering politicians in Ontario, who have since stepped down, who made it one of their goals to try and seemingly destroy a thriving industry. Its really a shame, but I am hopeful that Anthony MacDonald can rally the troops and that Tim Hudak will be the next premier of Ontario, and reinstate the slots at racetrack program before the industry is totally ruined. On that note, good luck Jody, but if luck doesn't work out, you have definitely got plenty of talent to fall back on.