Jason Bartlett wins 5,000th race | |||
Frank Drucker, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway | |||
December 19, 2013 | |||
He was the victim of bad luck Monday (shuffled out of the last race) and bad weather
Tuesday (Mother Nature snowed on his parade), but Jason Bartlett completed his
appointed rounds Thursday night.
Bartlett, a Yonkers Raceway mainstay since migrating from Maine a few seasons
ago, drove his 5,000th career winner. He hit the number with a solid, two-move
effort from Box Car Johnnie ($8) in the $12,000, sixth-race pace. The 8-year-old
Western Paradise gelding defeated odds-on favorite Pembroke Alec Bush (George
Brennan) by a length-and-a-half in 1:53.
The 32-year-old Bartlett, a native of Augusta, ME, entered the evening needing
one scant victory to round up the odometer.
Bartlett has three consecutive (2008-10) local driving titles on his resume, which
also includes a pair of Yonkers' stakes wins...the George Morton Levy Memorial
Pacing Series (Foiled Again, 2010) and Messenger Stakes (2013, Ronny Bugatti).
He also represented the U. S. twice in the World Driving Championship.
Bartlett, who drove his first winner for his grandfather, Richard, at the Windsor
(ME.) Fair in 1998, is closing on $54 million in career purses. The Bartlett’s--Jason,
wife Kristen, and sons Kobe and Karter---were presented with a congratulatory
sign after his latest accomplishment.
"As I said before, I've never been much of a numbers guy, but 5,000 is a lot,"
Bartlett said. "I always appreciate the owners and trainers giving me the opportunities,
and really, you just go out and do your best every night.
"It was special doing it for (trainer) Alicia Gray, since she and her husband,
Shawn, are also from Maine and I've had a lot of success driving for them."
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