Hi there,

Welcome to issue #6 of Insider Access.

Released every 2 weeks, Insider Access showcases insider rumors and commentary in the worldwide harness racing industry.

Each issue includes an exclusive Stallion review not available anywhere else - this week we review Majestic Son.

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Time to move on concerning Jody Jamieson

He manned up, admitted his mistakes, and apologized to family, friends and the harness racing world. Two days after Harnesslink.com went public with the story that Jody Jamieson had a positive test at Mohawk Raceway for cocaine, Jamieson came forward with a personal message to the harness racing world that showed he is just like everyone else, human.

He did the right thing. He accepted full blame for his actions. He made a bad mistake and is correcting it so that it won’t happen again. Can’t ask for much more than that

What was amazing is that when Harnesslink.com first broke the news on our facebook page, more than 28,000 people viewed it and then 19,000 people viewed the apology story. For the most part everyone said the same things in different way. It was very touching to see hundreds of comments, all saying “We support you Jody… We are behind you 100%... We all make mistakes and you rock!... Powerful admission and very respectful of him to step up and be straightforward… nice to see someone take it like a man instead of making excuses. Gotta respect that.”

And did Jody Jamieson sit at home that Thursday after posting his statement? Was he moping around the house being depressed? Did he stick his head in the sand and hide from everyone? No way, he did the right thing and went out, as it was Election Day in Ontario and he helped campaign for fellow driver Anthony MacDonald who was running for PC office.

It’s time for everyone to move on.

Was that “racing road rage” at the Meadowlands on Saturday?

We have heard of and seen what would appear to be “racing road rage” between two drivers but mainly it has been in the backstretch after a race or in the race paddock. And there have been some nasty scenes that have taken place but nothing like we saw, plain as day, during the tenth race at the Meadowlands on Saturday.

It seems that driver Jack Baggitt, Jr. got caught first-over in a blistering :53.3 half and no place to duck in with the race favorite for some much needed cover. Then before the three-quarters he started to bear in on Joe Bongiorno, who was sitting sorta of comfortably in the two-hole spot. Both drivers looked down and saw they were going to lock wheels so Bongiorno took his horse inside the pylons to escape a possible accident.

Then once Bongiorno started down the stretch, and he knew he was out of contention in the race, he started looking back, two or three times, seeking out Jack Baggitt, Jr. He got back on course and found Baggitt, looked back twice and waited until he got his attention and then apparently flicked him the finger in mid stretch at the Meadowlands, paying no mind to the actual race that was going on in front of him.

Come on Joe that was not the thing do in the home stretch at the Meadowlands. Bush league and unprofessional for an “A” driver at any track. Save it for after the race or in the race paddock. We can understand that you were upset, but cooler heads must prevail.

We are sure there are good reasons for his actions and we will work on the whole story because there are always two sides to an event like this, but not flipping the bird while trying to drive your horse in the stretch at the Meadowlands for everyone to see. Save the “racing road rage” for after the race.

What a weekend for Takter & Burke

Every wonder if you could wake up one morning say to yourself, “It’s gonna be a great day. My horses are in super shape and I think we will win at least seven baby races at the Meadowlands, a couple of PASS divisions at Pocono Downs and at least two major stakes races on NA Cup Night at Mohawk Raceway and maybe throw in a second place finish in the $1,000,000 NA Cup too.”

Well, if you’re trainer Jimmy Takter, then it was not a dream, but reality! The Takter Stable did it all on Saturday. Of the 16 two-year-old races at the Meadowlands, his barn sent out seven winners. Both Father Patrick and Nuncio won their $72,000 divisions of the PASS at Pocono Downs. And to top off the day, Uffizi Hanover won the $457,500 Fan Hanover, Trixton breezed in the $272,100 Goodtimes final and Tellitlikeitis was second in the $1 million NA Cup.

It does not get much better than that…..except for maybe trainer Ron Burke. He also sent out seven two-year-old winners at Gaitway Farm on Monday and Saturday night he won the $1 million NA Cup at Mohawk with JK Endofanera, had a second in the $100,000 Mohawk Gold with Foiled Again and a third place finish with Rocklamation in the $330,000 Roses Are Red Final.

Both trainers had days that dreams are made of.

Great job Friday by Western Fair for Molson Pace Night

Another tip of the hat goes to Greg Blanchard and his team at Western Fair for their superb display and broadcast of their Molson Pace Night on Friday. Not only did they have a top flight race program with more than $530,000 in purses and an all-star field for the Molson Pace, but the commentary, interviews, TV production and race calls (Shannon “Sugar” Doyle) were excellent, informative, entertaining and a first class presentation.

NZ Box Seat

Am I the only one upset that the Box Seat show on Trackside has now gone into recess until early September.

Harness racing doesn't stop while the Box Seat is in recess. In fact it is one of the most important times of the year with all the breeders mapping out their stallion selections for the new breeding season. A Box Seat with a half hour breeding segment covering the stud scene in New Zealand would be a brilliant addition to an already great programme.

The thoroughbreds already have such a show leading into their breeding season and its time standardbreds did as well. The breeding side of the harness racing industry has been poorly served by Trackside in the past and that needs to change.

THE J.C.A

The silence from the powers that be after the debacle of the Arya disqualification on Jewels day is not sustainable. When the leading trainer in New Zealand, Mark Purdon, who is renowned for his calm demeanour and measured responses to incidents, lets fly with a verbal barrage at the J.C.A and calls them incompetent, one needs to sit up and take notice.

Any knowledgeable harness racing person viewing the race in question would share Mark Purdon's disgust at such an unbelievable decision. Any judicial system that can come up with such a flawed decision as the one in the Ayra case needs to be urgently reviewed or it will become mired in controversy and a distraction the industry doesn't need.

Stallion Review - Majestic Son

With the 2014 North American breeding season nearing its end and the Down Under breeding season just three months away we will continue with our "A Stallion Review" series highlighting the stallions that are making an impact on the harness racing breeding scene.

Today we have produced an in depth review for the outstanding trotter and sire Majestic Son 1:52.2 ($1,993,157)

Enjoy the read.

BREEDING

The sire of Majestic Son is Angus Hall one of the all-time great trotting sires. His stats are mouth-watering to say the least. To date he has sired the winners of $77,081,144 in stakes including five millionaires. He is the sire of 74 in 1:55 and 467 in 2:00. His best winner to date is the champion race mare, Peaceful Way 1:51.4 ($2,746,240). Majestic Son is the biggest stake winning son of this great sire.

The dam of Majestic Son is a daughter of King Conch, her name is Celtic Contessa. She only took a record of 2:02.4 and won $4,200 on the track. She has three in 1:58 from her time at stud but apart from Majestic Son has no other credit of grand circuit class. The strength of the maternal pedigree comes through the second dam Ramerizi 1:56.4 ($433,344) who is a wonderful producer at stud. Her best performer to date is Misterizi 1:51 ($597,027). Another daughter Lindsey Fieryimage 1:57 ($203,363) is now the dam of the smart Striking Lindsey 1:54.1 ($617,578). A full sister to Celtic Contessa in the unraced Celtic Merizi is now the dam of Loose Change Louie 1:55.4 ($473,874) while another half-brother to Celtic Contessa in Rams Billy Brisco 1:58.3 has $191,232 on his card.

RACE RECORD

Majestic Son has a race record to die for.

At two he faced the starter 13 times for five wins and five placings. His best win at two was undoubtedly in the $300,000 final of the Ontario Sires Stakes in 1:56. Further wins in the $106,965 final of the Champlain Trot in1:55.4 and the $130,000 final of the Ontario Sires Stakes Gold series in 1:55 were other highlights. The only negative was having no luck in the final of the $555,485 Valley Victory where he finished second. At three, Majestic Son stepped up to the plate with a record of 19 starts for 14 wins and 2 placings. His best win all season was in the final of the $1,000,000 Canadian Trotting Classic where he took his lifetime mark of 1:52.2 in spectacular fashion and in the process destroyed the Hambletonian winner Glidemaster ($2,038,575) by six and a half lengths.

Majestic Son - $1,000,000 Canadian Trotting Classic

Other notable wins were in the $569,250 Breeders Crown Final in 1:54.2, the $280,600 Goodtimes Trot in 1:53.2, and the $175,534 Canadian Breeders Trot Final in 1:53. It was a long and tiring season but he performed at his best the whole way through it.

Majestic Son - $569,250 Breeders Crown Final

At four he raced just six times for three wins and one placing. His best win in this brief campaign was in the $155,250 Frank Ryan Trot in 1:53.

On Majestic Son’s retirement to stud, his race record stood at 38 starts for 22 wins, 5 seconds and 3 thirds for $1,993,157 in stakes.

NORTH AMERICAN STUD RECORD

His first crop raced as two year olds in the 2011 season. They are five year olds in the 2014 season. From the 59 horses from that crop, 41 have been winners to date with 7 in 1:55 and 30 in 2:00 for stakes totalling $3,256,288. His progeny’s average earnings per starter is a respectable $67,839. The best performers from this crop are Summer Indian 1:51.1 ($402,250), Circles 1:56.1 ($385,677) and Lovely Vocation 1:54.3 ($309,577).

His second crop raced as two year olds in the 2012 season. They are four year olds in the 2014 season. From the 45 horses born in that crop, 37 have started with 24 winners to date with 3 in 1:55 and 15 in 2:00 for stakes totalling $2,077,700. His average earnings per starter is $56,154. The best performers from that crop are Murmur Hanover 1:54.3 ($483,629) and Charmed Life 1:52.2 ($482,360).

His third crop, were two year olds in the 2013 season. They are three year olds in the 2014 season and most are just getting to the track now. From the 22 horses from that crop, 15 have raced to date with 8 winners, with 1 in 1:55 and 4 in 2:00 for stakes totalling $357,273. His average earnings per starter from basically two year old racing is $23,818. His best performer from this crop to date is Harper Blue Chip T2 1:55 ($196,883).

NOTE: The lack of numbers in his North American crops to date is a direct result in our opinion of Majestic Son being seriously over priced in his initial years at stud. A stud fee of $12,000 in Canada was a serious miscalculation and has adversely impacted on his stud career to this point.

AUSTRALIAN STUD RECORD

His first crop, were two year olds in the 2011 - 2012 season. They are four year olds in the 2013 - 2014 season. They were conceived via frozen semen and number just five foals. To date three have been winners with the best performer being Jaden Girl ($22,210).

His second crop, were two year olds in the 2012 - 2013 season. They are three year olds in the 2013 - 2014 racing season. This is the first of the crops where fresh semen was available and number 36 horses. To date 14 have started for six winners with the best performer being the brilliant I'm Stately ($182,915) who was the Australian two year old trotter of the year last season. Injury has kept him away from the racetrack so far this season.

His third crop, are two year olds in the 2013 - 2014 season. This crop numbers just 26 horses of which ten have started to date for five winners. The best performers to date are Royal Treat ($34,940) and Illawong Armstrong ($33,962).

He has two further small crops of 11 yearlings and 10 weanlings but then served 91 mares in the current breeding season.

NOTE: No other trotting sire in Australia has sired more than one individual two year trotting winner to this point in this 2013 – 2014 racing season.

NEW ZEALAND STUD RECORD

The first crop, were two year olds in the 2010 - 2011 season.

They are five year olds in the current 2013 - 2014 season and were conceived via frozen semen and number just six foals of which four have raced to date for three winners including the smart mare Regal Petite (8 wins).

His second crop, were two year olds in the 2011 - 2012 season. They are four year olds in the 2013 - 2014 racing season. This crop was also conceived via frozen semen and number just seven foals. They have all started and all won. Glenferrie Typhoon ( 7 wins Aust) Juneamy Castleton(4 wins) and Jocy Jaccka (3 wins) are the best performers from this crop to date.

His third crop, were two year olds in the 2012 - 2013 season. They are three year olds in the 2013 - 2014 racing season. This is the first crop sired via fresh semen in New Zealand and number 52 foals of which 26 have raced to date with 15 being winners. The best performers from this crop to date are King Denny 2:00.2 ($163,179), One Over Da Moon 1:57.9 ($133,523), Daenerys Targaryen ($102,202) and Majestic Time 1:58.2 ($76,945).

His fourth crop, are two year olds in the 2013 - 2014 season. This crop numbered 23 foals of which six have raced to date with two of those winning. The winners are Prince Fearless 2:00.2 mile rate over 1950 metres ($45,771) and Wanna Play 1:58.9 mile rate over 1950 metres ($57,956).

He has 12 yearlings and 8 weanlings on the ground but served a huge 161 mares in the current breeding season.

POSITIVES

This son of Angus Hall has had to really battle to make his mark as a sire especially in North America. A service fee of $12,000 at the start of his career really hurt him in the Northern Hemisphere and a lack of numbers at the same time handicapped him in the Southern Hemisphere. But he battled back by doing what he does best, leaving winners.

They are noted for their great gait and high speed.

He is now the hottest trotting sire in Australasia and his immediate future looks assured.

NEGATIVES

The one complaint that trainers have of his stock is that some can become quite hot.

Couple that with some Sundon mares and you have the potential for the odd head case. Also lack of numbers as yearlings and weanlings in Australasia may hinder the next two seasons statistics.

OVERVIEW

Majestic Son was an outstanding racehorse who has overcome some significant hurdles to establish himself as an elite sire especially in Australasia. They can get up and go at two and three and carry on as older horses. He still has some way to go to reach the elite level in the Northern Hemisphere but is now firmly established as the premier trotting sire in the Southern Hemisphere.

OVERALL RATING

8.5 out of 10