Fifth And Five Delivers Storybook Gold Cup & Saucer Triumph in Record-Tying Mile

Fifth And Five and driver Jody Jamieson produced a perfectly timed finish to land the 67th edition of the $100,000 Gold Cup & Saucer (Grade 3), overhauling stablemate Sugar Man and repelling a late charge from Timeisonmyside in a track record-tying performance that closed Old Home Week racing at Red Shores Racetrack & Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park on Saturday, Aug. 22.

The four-year-old stallion stopped the clock in 1:49.4, matching the Charlottetown standard first set by Miki Shan N in the 2025 Premier’s Cup final. The victory underlined both the quality of the field and the strategic precision required to win one of Canadian harness racing’s most distinctive one-mile events, staged under the local rules framework of the Maritime Provinces Harness Racing Commission and Standardbred Canada during Prince Edward Island’s Old Home Week festival.[1]

Classic pocket trip decides a high-tempo final

Drawn in the second tier, Jamieson committed early to tracking Doug McNair and the odds-on favourite Sugar Man. Sugar Man cleared to the lead cleanly, taking the field through a :27.2 opening quarter, with Jamieson securing the pocket and immediate tactical advantage for Fifth And Five.

Jordy N, driven by Jason Ryan, advanced uncovered to challenge and pressed the leader to the half in :55.4 before yielding as the tempo tightened. Sugar Man accelerated through a searing :26.3 third quarter to reach three-quarters in 1:22.2, stretching the field and briefly looking to have the $100,000 feature under control.

Fifth And Five, initially caught out of position, gradually reeled in the pacesetter and was perfectly poised on Sugar Man’s back turning for home. At the same time, Timeisonmyside, with Anthony MacDonald in the bike, tipped out from third along the pylons and launched his run.

Jamieson asked Fifth And Five for his best at the foot of the bend. With first run on Timeisonmyside and direct access to the leader, the stallion surged past Sugar Man and then held off the late challenger to prevail by half a length. Timeisonmyside settled for second, with a game Sugar Man staying on for third.

Jamieson’s lifelong target becomes career-defining win

The victory carried emotional weight well beyond the purse and the time on the clock. Jamieson, a World Driving Champion with premier victories including the North America Cup and Little Brown Jug on his résumé, made clear that the Gold Cup & Saucer occupied a different space in his career.

“I’m beside myself,” he said in the winner’s circle. “I literally can’t believe I won the Gold Cup and Saucer. This is the culmination of a whole life of driving horses and being in the horse business. Everybody wants to win this race.”

The win also completed a personal loop that had remained open for two decades. Jamieson’s father, Carl, captured the Gold Cup and Saucer with Banner Yankee, a moment the younger Jamieson long cited as his favourite racing memory. Jody had been scheduled to drive Banner Yankee in the 2006 final but returned to Ontario, only for that night’s races to be cancelled by a power outage.

“I’ve told anybody who would listen that my favourite win of my career was my dad winning with Banner Yankee in the Gold Cup and Saucer,” Jamieson said. “Now my favourite win is me winning the Gold Cup and Saucer with Fifth And Five.”

With Jody and Carl now both on the Gold Cup roll of honour, the Jamiesons become the second father-son pairing to win the race, following Ian and Tyler Moore. For a driver already established on North America’s biggest stages, the Charlottetown success strengthens his standing in a race that has grown into one of the sport’s emblematic one-mile tests, alongside other major Canadian harness events highlighted in global harness racing calendars.[2]

Pressure, local roots and a career milestone

Jamieson was open about the distinctive pressure around Charlottetown’s signature event, despite having already delivered in some of the continent’s most demanding races.

“I was nervous,” he admitted. “I wanted to win so badly. I knew I had to follow Doug (McNair) around the first turn, and if I could do that and keep up, I would give myself a chance to win.”

That plan, executed without error, not only delivered his first Gold Cup & Saucer but also provided a high-profile showcase of judgment and composure in a race that has increasingly attracted top stables from across North America.

McKinnon’s homecoming and stable dominance

Trainer Brett McKinnon, who grew up in Prince Edward Island before building his career with the Dave Menary stable in Ontario, experienced the night as a homecoming fulfilled. He sent out the first and third finishers in Fifth And Five and Sugar Man, underlining his stable’s depth in the Old Home Week feature.

“Every day, really,” McKinnon said when asked how often he had envisioned being part of a Gold Cup & Saucer win. “Every day you wake up, and it has always been the dream to race in this race. From the moment I first touched my first racehorse, this was the one you wanted.”

McKinnon noted that his confidence around the final had grown during the week.

“I loved the way this horse trained this week, and he just seemed extra sharp coming into it,” he said of Fifth And Five. “I was very confident turning for home, seeing him sitting in the two-hole. I knew we had a good shot with either Sugar Man hanging on or this guy sprinting out of the hole.”

For McKinnon, the win resonated beyond the result itself, given the chance to share the moment with a driver he had previously worked for and long respected.

“He’s one of the best to do it,” McKinnon said of Jamieson. “I worked for him for a period of time, and we’re great friends. For both of us to get our first Gold Cup and Saucer, it’s a true honour to be involved with Jody. He’s a World Driving Champion and one of the best.”

McKinnon also highlighted the role of Pollack Racing LLC of Venetia, Pa., and trainer Dave Menary in sending Fifth And Five and Sugar Man to Charlottetown.

“They made this happen,” McKinnon said. “I can never thank them enough for this opportunity. It’s amazing for them to send these two calibre of horses out here for me. I’ll be forever grateful.”

Fifth And Five’s profile and earnings move

Fifth And Five, a four-year-old son of Bettors Delight-Filou Fly Fast, was bred by Darryl Kaplan of Toronto, Ont., along with Roy Sproxton and Harbhajan Singh Dhillon of Brampton, Ont. The Gold Cup & Saucer victory was his second win of the season from 14 starts and moved his lifetime record to 11 wins from 41 outings, pushing his career bankroll to $576,633. He returned $8.70 to win.

The performance not only adds a prestigious title to his résumé but also enhances his value and profile within a highly competitive division, with a record-equalling 1:49.4 mile at a track where atmospheric conditions, configuration and Old Home Week scheduling can make fast times particularly significant benchmarks.

Ammo reaches millionaire status in defeat

Fourth-placed Ammo, a six-year-old entire by Sweet Lou out of Beach Gal, trained by Ron Matheson and driven by Marc Campbell for owners Patrick Morris (Charlottetown) and Woodmere Farms (Marshfield, P.E.I.), collected $8,000 for his effort. That cheque lifted his career earnings to $1,005,164, with 23 wins from 99 starts.

While outside the top three, reaching millionaire status in a Gold Cup & Saucer final underscores the race’s role as both a target in its own right and a platform through which established horses can add substantial milestones to their records.

Jamieson caps night with driving treble

Fifth And Five’s success formed part of a dominant evening for Jamieson. The Ontario-based driver completed a driving triple on the night program, also winning with Pauls Crown ($8) in 1:54 for trainer Stanley Harper and The Tulsa King ($3.60) in 1:54.4 for trainer Mike McGuigan.

In a week where local and visiting drivers vie for prominence, Jamieson’s three wins on Gold Cup night reinforced the competitive edge he brought to Charlottetown and added further weight to an already distinguished Old Home Week record.

Campbell sets Old Home Week mark and dominates supporting stakes

Marc Campbell stamped his authority on the broader Old Home Week program. With four victories on the evening card, Campbell established a new Old Home Week record with 34 wins and secured the Francis MacIsaac Memorial Award as top driver of the week.

Beyond his role in Ammo’s millionaire milestone, Campbell was central to several key supporting races:

• Shanghai Whiskey ($3.50) captured the first $26,200 Joe O’Brien Memorial Gold division for three-year-old pacing colts, winning by three-quarters of a length over Cattle Call (Gilles Barrieau), with Goose Commander (Jason Hughes) third. The son of Shanghai Phil-Julep Hanover, trained, owned and bred by Wade Myers of Charlottetown, clocked 1:53.4.
• Starship Glyde ($7.60) prevailed in 1:51.4 for trainer Earl Watts.
• Chikaboom ($3.10) scored in 1:55.1 for trainer Harold Duguay.
• Bohannon ($4) delivered in 1:57 for trainer Carson Wilkie.

That quartet gave Campbell a driving grand slam on the card, emphasising his status as a central figure in Atlantic Canadian harness racing and underlining how Old Home Week offers both local stars and visiting connections a concentrated, multi-day platform.

Joe O’Brien Memorial: Zero Two Sixty and Blazing Cays extend the form lines

The second $26,200 Joe O’Brien Memorial Gold division went to Zero Two Sixty ($3.40), driven by David Dowling in 1:55.1 for trainer Sifroi Melanson. Woodmere Mahomes (Barrieau) finished second by a neck, with Windemere Britt (Paul Langille) third. Zero Two Sixty is a gelded son of Tobago Cays-J J Mistress, owned by Ultimate Stable of Greater Lakeburn, N.B.

In the Grassroots ranks, Blazing Cays ($2.60) underlined rapidly improving form by dominating the second $13,100 Joe O’Brien Memorial Grassroots division for three-year-old male pacers. Trainer-driver Darren Crowe sent the Tobago Cays-Jenna Grace gelding straight to the lead through fractions of :27.3 and :56.3, opened daylight by three-quarters in 1:26 and drew off to a 7-1/4-length win in 1:56. Rollwiththewarden (Corey MacPherson) finished second, with Regret Nothing (Paul Langille) third.

Blazing Cays has now won six consecutive starts after beginning the season 0-for-3. Owned by Keith and Lewis MacDonell of Port Hood, N.S., and Route Nineteen Racing of Judique, N.S., he stands at eight wins from 15 career starts with $21,521 in earnings, an upward trajectory that positions him as a key regional player in his division.

Other Joe O’Brien Memorial Grassroots divisions on the afternoon program went to:

• Bet On Evil ($4.70), driven by David Dowling in 1:56 for trainer Jennifer Doyle.
• Blazing Cays again, with Crowe in 1:56, consolidating his streak.
• Tobins Nibbler ($14.10), driven by Jason Hughes in 1:55.2 for trainer Ashley Gamester.

Badgirl Bridgette sets new Atlantic-bred mares benchmark

In the $5,550 Fillies and Mares Preferred Pace, Badgirl Bridgette ($4.50) delivered a record-setting mile that rewrote the Atlantic-bred standard on the East Coast. Driven by Jason Hughes for owner-trainer William Lanigan of Montague, P.E.I., the four-year-old Stonebridge Terror-Whatabadgirl mare closed off sharp fractions to win in 1:52.4.

She finished 1-1/2 lengths clear of Trumps Girl (Anthony MacDonald), with Rosetown Mary (Corey MacPherson) third. The 1:52.4 clocking made Badgirl Bridgette the fastest Atlantic-bred mare ever on the East Coast, eclipsing the 1:53.1 mark jointly held by Woodmere Skyroller and Sensational Gal. For a regional breeding program, such a performance offers a tangible reference point for future campaigns and stallion decisions.

Miraculous Desbi N takes P.E.I. Harness Racing Industry Association Invitational

The $15,000 P.E.I. Harness Racing Industry Association Invitational, the feature of the afternoon card, went to Miraculous Desbi N ($4.60). The New Zealand-bred six-year-old son of Bettors Delight-Kelly Maguire was driven by Louis-Philippe Roy for trainer Jacques Dupont and owner Ecurie CSL of Sorel-Tracy, Que.

Miraculous Desbi N sat third through early fractions of :28 and :56.4, moved first-over into the breeze approaching three-quarters in 1:25, and then ground down Get Wings (Campbell) to win by half a length in 1:52.1. Storm Shadow (Mike Downey) completed the triactor.

The win was his third of the season from 25 starts and moved his overall record to 11 wins in 56 outings, with $169,121 in lifetime earnings. For connections shipping from Quebec, success in an Island invitational carries both sporting and commercial value, demonstrating that Charlottetown’s Old Home Week card continues to attract and reward interprovincial participation.

Fight Song, Bee Two Bee and Captain Tate headline other key results

Several other notable performances on the Gold Cup Day doubleheader added depth to the program and helped shape the regional form picture:

• Fight Song ($7.50) decisively defeated long-time rival Buckhead Ridge in the $8,000 Colonel Dan Trot for trainer Ashley Gamester and owner Donald MacRae of Vernon Bridge, P.E.I. Driven by Jason Hughes, the Kadabra-Fortunes Of Fables gelding controlled every fraction and scored by 3-1/2 lengths in 1:54.4. West River Jet (Ken MacDonald) was third. Fight Song’s recent exchanges of wins with Buckhead Ridge, now level at two apiece over the last month, have created a compelling mini-rivalry within the local trotting ranks.
• Hughes and Gamester also combined to take the $10,000 Premier’s Pace with Bee Two Bee ($3.60) in 1:54.2. The nine-year-old Sunshine Beach-Bee Fullof Steinam stallion, owned by MacRae and Blair MacLauchlan of Charlottetown, dictated terms and held off Gigis Dream (Marc Campbell) by a quarter-length, with Fast Louie (David Dowling) in third. Bee Two Bee, third in last year’s Gold Cup & Saucer, used this year’s Premier’s Pace to reinforce his high-end consistency at Charlottetown.
• Captain Tate ($5.70) closed the card with a commanding win in a conditioned event. The three-year-old Captain Crunch-Ginger Tree Nina colt, driven by Adam Merner for trainer Walter Walker and owner James MacInnis of Halifax, N.S., made all the running through splits of :28, :57.1 and 1:25.4 before drawing off to an eight-length victory in 1:54.2 over Mr Harris (Marc Campbell), with Cincinattus (Brady Galliers) third. Captain Tate has now won 11 of 15 starts this year, with an 11-for-20 lifetime record and $11,791 in earnings, signalling a progressive profile that could translate into higher-level opportunities.

In the $4,550 Claybourne Memorial Trot, Oceanview Banjo ($7.40) prevailed in 2:00.1 for driver Corey MacPherson and trainer George Rennison, further consolidating the spread of local training and ownership interests on a day otherwise dominated by a handful of high-profile stables and drivers.

Handle, scheduling and ongoing Old Home Week impact

The breadth of the Gold Cup Day program was reflected in the wagering figures. Total handle across the doubleheader reached $661,429, with $573,120 bet on the evening program and $88,309 on the afternoon card. For Red Shores and the regional industry, that level of turnover during Old Home Week reinforces the commercial importance of concentrating top-level harness racing, festival activities and tourism into a single, high-impact window in the calendar.

The Gold Cup & Saucer itself, staged as a $100,000 final preceded by trials and companion stakes, continues to be positioned as the closing highlight of Old Home Week. Live racing now transitions to Red Shores Summerside, where action resumes on Tuesday at 6 p.m., ensuring continuity for participants and bettors after Charlottetown’s flagship night.

Gold Cup & Saucer as a regional and international reference point

For international audiences, the Gold Cup & Saucer sits within a group of prominent Canadian harness events that help define the sport’s North American landscape. The race, first introduced in 1960 to showcase Island harness racing and the homecoming spirit of Old Home Week, has evolved into a target for leading stables from across Canada and beyond while retaining a strong community identity and local regulatory structure.

On this edition, Fifth And Five’s 1:49.4, Jamieson’s long-awaited breakthrough and McKinnon’s home-soil success combined to produce a result that resonated well beyond the winner’s circle. At every level – from breeding and ownership decisions to regional scheduling and long-term career résumés – the 67th Gold Cup & Saucer validated its continued role as a race that can reshape seasons in a single, one-mile lap of Charlottetown.