When he thinks of the career harness racing milestones he’s reached, Jason Bartlett considers himself fortunate.
“It’s always good to reach those milestones,” Bartlett said in a phone interview Friday morning. “I guess if you’re winning races, you’re doing your job.”
A Windsor native and Erskine Academy graduate, Bartlett, 36, earned his 7,000th driving victory last Sunday. The win came at Yonkers (N.Y.) Raceway, where Bartlett does the bulk of his racing these days, and ended an uncharacteristic dry spell.
“It was a process in getting to it,” Bartlett said. “Friday, I got within three wins of (7,000), then it took me three days to get there… It took a while, but it’s a weight off my shoulders.”
Bartlett was in the sulky driving I C Caviar when he earned win 7,000. Bartlett and I C Caviar came from behind and pulled away at the final turn.
“It was nice, because I was beat a few times at the wire when I was going for it,” Bartlett said of the 7,000th win.
Over his career, Bartlett has earned $87.7 million in purses. The 2017 racing season has been another strong one for Bartlett. Currently, he’s first in the nation in earning, with $6,762,072 in purses. Bartlett is third in the nation in wins this season, with 338 in 1,481 starts.
Bartlett does most of his racing at Yonkers Raceway, although he’s getting ready for a busy August that will see him also race quite a bit at the Meadowlands and Monticello. Some of the biggest races of the season, including the Hambletonian and Hambletonian Oaks, are in the coming weeks.
“I’ll be very busy. In August, I think I get one day off. Luckily, that’s my son’s birthday,” Bartlett said.
Bartlett expects there will be days on which he drives in 15 to 20 races, at two tracks. There is one downside to the near-constant racing.
“I don’t know if I’ll make it to the Windsor Fair (Aug. 27- Sept. 4),” Bartlett said. Racing in his home track’s biggest event, the Windsor Invitational, is typically a highlight for Bartlett.
Bartlett won’t know for a few weeks if he will make it home for the Windsor Fair. In the meantime, with another career milestone checked off, Bartlett is focused on picking up more wins.
“I get to do what I love,” he said.
Travis Lazarczyk — 861-9242
Twitter: @TLazarczykMTM
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