Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Odds On Racing's

Driver of the Month
for June 2006

Yannick Gingras

Yannick Gingras has followed in the footsteps of Stephane Bourchard, Daniel Dube and Luc Ouellette, leaving his home of Sorel, Quebec, Canada to ply his wares in the United States via Yonkers Raceway and now The Meadowlands. Born on August 4, 1979, Gingras was awarded the Rising Star Award by USHWA in 2004.

Gingras is a third generation horseman who grew up on a farm. He remebers jogging horses with his father at the age of five and training them by the time he was ten.

Yannick Gingras

He could have applied for a trainer's license at age 16, which would have allowed him to get a driver's license two years later, but at the time Gingras was more interested in hanging out with his friends than in driving. It wasn't until he was 18 that he becamse a trainer and amateur driver for two years before getting his "A" license.

In 2001 Gingras moved to Yonkers and was the top driver of the fall meet. He said Dube was instrumental in his early Yonkers success by helping him get drives--and giving him a place to live. He also credits trainer Mark Ford, Mike Caruselle and Jean Drolet with giving him his first drives.

"Never win by more than you have to, is something my Dad always said."

In 2003 Yannick scored big wins with Michael Q, Baron Hall, Privilege Hanover, BP's Silent Weapon and Royas Romeo, among others during a year of $2.4 million in earnings.

At the start of 2004 Gingras decided to move to The Meadowlands, and drove at Freehold during the day. He's been there ever since and has established himself as one of the top drivers on the tough New Jersey circuit. He's known as a patient driver, which he says he gets from his father.

"My dad always told me, 'never win by more than you have to' and you rarely see me winning by a lot," Yannick said.

Yannick Gingras' Career Driving Statistics
Year    Starts    Wins   2nds     3rds    Earnings
2006      827         99      106        97      $1,521,283
2005      2164      281      286      252      $4,753,201
2004      2406      296      274      282      $3,885,358
2003      2134      426      342      284      $2,479,876
2002      1776      273      278      254      $1,592,340
2001        605       79        72        80      $387,576
2000        110       19        21       10      $83,295
1999        39        14         4         2       $36,027
1998         23        3          2         6       $12,036
Total    1490                                      $14,750,992

2006 Archives
April: Rick Zeron
March: George Brennan
February: Brent Holland
January: Mark MacDonald

2005 Archives
December: Tony Morgan
November: Mike Oosting
October: Chris Christoforou
September: Dave Palone
August: Jack Moiseyev
July: Randy Waples
June: Cat Manzi
May: Dave Magee
April: Jim Morrill,Jr.
March: Patrick Lachance
February: Paul MacDonell
January: Ron Pierce