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 Maritimers Dominant in 2008Maritime-owned Somebeachsomewhere and Shadow Play dominated the headlines during the 2008 harness racing season, but it turns out it was a season that was also dominated by Maritime connections. Bible Hill, Nova Scotia native Jody Jamieson wrapped up another stellar season in the fast lane of harness racing by leading all Canadian drivers with $7,750,580 in seasonal earnings. It was the second straight year that Jamieson has been the leading money winner in Canadian racing. Jamieson sat out the last card of the 2008 season at Woodbine Raceway in Toronto, but captured his first Woodbine Entertainment Group driver’s title by a comfortable margin of 22 wins over his nearest rival Rick Zeron. Jody drove 282 winners on the WEG circuit. On the season, he had 326 total victories, to rank sixth among Canadian dash winners. Jamieson, winner of the O’Brien Award as driver of the year in Canada in 2007, has been nominated for the award again this year along with Paul MacDonell, driver of Somebeachsomewhere. MacDonell finished second to Jamieson in the money race, driving the winners of $6,831,935. Kingston, PEI native Mark MacDonald went over the $5 million mark for the fourth straight year and ended up fifth with $5,822,117. Newfoundland native Brad Forward was Canada’s leading dash winner with 574 with Charlottetown native Robert Shepherd second with a career high of 400 victories. Two other Charlottetown natives, Paul MacKenzie and John MacDonald finished in the top 10. MacKenzie recorded 315 victories, good for eighth place, while John MacDonald recorded a career high of 302 wins, good for 10th spot. For the third year in a row, Gilles Barrieau of Saint John has led Canadian harness racing drivers with the best average. Barrieau, who won 166 dashes in 2008, led with a .427 average, followed by Todd Trites of Fredericton, who compiled a .405 average. Trites won his first Maritime dash win crown with a career high of 206 wins. Forward was third with a .382 average while Terry Gallant of Summerside was ninth with a .338 average. In the training ranks, Carl Jamieson, a native of Wallace, Nova Scotia, harnessed the winners of $1,881,892, good for eighth spot among Canadian trainers in money winnings. (Atlantic Post Calls)
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