Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Odds On Racing's

Driver of the Month
for March 2011

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.

Since those early years, Gingras has evolved into one of the most successful and well-known drivers anywhere in North America. He now regularly competes with great success at both The Meadowlands and Yonkers on a regular basis.

As well, he earned the USHWA President's Award in 2011 for his ongoing charity work with "Toys For Tots." Concentrating on this philanthropic organization, Gingras has often donated his entire driver's check to "Toys For Tots" when driving at Tioga Downs. At the other end of the spectrum, he also is a contributor to the Standardbred Retirement Foundation, a group dedicated to sustaining racehorses after their careers at the track are over.

Gingras has also been cooperative with the marketing and publicity departments at racetracks, whether at a venue he's driving at, or taking time away from his schedule to participate in public relation stunts miles away from his home base.

Yannick Gingras' Career Driving Statistics through March 5, 2011
Year    Starts    Wins   2nds     3rds    Earnings
2011      351        32        51        59      $774,503
2010      2734      493      440      384      $11,211,999
2009      2681      409      402      342      $9,250,958
2008      2591      338      408      308      $9,771,168
2007      2627      448      377      364      $9,663,346
2006      2483      368      327      330      $7,178,933
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     3,479                                     $61,080,612