Harness: Bartlett showing he can ply his trade at any venue

When you win multiple driving titles at Yonkers Raceway you gain a reputation. Some may consider Jason Bartlett a half-mile specialist by virtue of his numerous titles, but that would be selling him short in a major way.

Over the last few weekends, Bartlett has displayed incredible timing while ushering horses into a lonely Meadowlands winner's circle. Whether it's on the front end or going a long way first-over, Bartlett doesn’t seem to need a learner’s permit to qualify among the elite at the East Rutherford mile oval that makes people famous.

"I just try to be aggressive like I always do on the half," said Bartlett, with a shade of modesty. "You've got to put horses in play and I've been fortunate to drive some good horses over the last two weeks."

Bartlett and fellow Yonkers reinsman Jordan Stratton have gone toe-to-toe with the best and proven themselves formidably at The Meadowlands. Bartlett, of course, was preparing himself to get back to Yonkers in the near-term and showed up there on Monday for a string of qualifying drives. "It was good to get back. The track was in great shape," Bartlett said.

While the driver is still somewhat concerned about the rules that may prohibit certain horsemen from participating at Yonkers when racing commences on Monday (June 22), nothing will stop him. "I was coaching the kids traveling basketball team that won the Orange County championship," said Bartlett. "A lot of the drivers had been sick the weeks before we found out about John Brennan and Carmine Fusco. I didn't want to be around the kids, so I took the test. When the results came back they said I tested negative, but the next day my doctor called me and said I was positive."

The Covid 19 virus that would claim Brennan and multiple members of the Fusco family, put Bartlett on the sidelines, but he was spared the severity. "I lost my sense of smell and taste for a while. No one really had any answers on what to do, so I self-quarantined for about three weeks and binge-watched a lot of Netflix," said Bartlett, who got up-to-date on Outlander, The Last Kingdom, Marco Polo and The 100.

With quarantine lifted, Bartlett was certainly eager to get back in the sulky and he has been a regular at The Meadowlands and Gaitway Farm during qualifying races, as well as weekend overnights at The Meadowlands.

While Yonkers has been Bartlett's bread and butter for years, 2020 is a year like no other and that has given the driver pause to consider other options. With Yonkers initially opening just three days-a-week, Bartlett will not have any conflicts racing at both The Meadowlands and Yonkers, as well as racing at Pocono. "I’m like all of the drivers and just want to get as much work as possible," said Bartlett, clearly willing and able to do whatever it takes to get back on track.

Of course, Yonkers' return comes with the track not only racing fewer days and fewer total races, but with purses compromised initially until at least MGM gets to reopen the casino doors. For Bartlett, the weekend picture at Yonkers could be significantly different from years past. Trainer Rich Banca used Bartlett almost exclusively over the years, and with his indictment earlier this year, there will be a huge void. "Rich had 60-70 horses and had a lot of Saturday night horses," Bartlett said. "But I've got a lot of horses that I can drive for Andrew Harris."

Harris has built an exceptional stable over the years, with multiple horses fitting a wide array of classes. He has ultimate confidence in Bartlett and put him down on many of his horses over the last few weeks at The Meadowlands.

While in the past Bartlett was hesitant to leave Yonkers on weekends to chase stakes races out of town, he seems to be getting closer and closer to giving up a few if it's in pursuit of major stakes money.

"It's just got to be the right kind of horse to chase," said Bartlett, answering a question that he’s heard year after year. With his impressive ability to handle most any kind of horses and put himself in position to win, it has always just been a matter of time before Bartlett would find that special horse that would spring him towards Grand Circuit mounts with regularity.

Has he driven a horse yet this year that fits the bill?

"I think Save Me A Dance may be that kind of horse,” Bartlett said of the 3-year-old son of Heston Blue Chip that he drove to victory on June 13. "I was really impressed by him. He was uncovered and sprinted home in 26 1/5 with the plugs in," Bartlett said of the Andrew Harris trainee that is a homebred of longtime owner Robert Key. "I know Mr. Key staked him very well this year."

Save Me A Dance is eligible to New York Sire Stakes as well and appears set for a lucrative season based on early returns.

Bartlett figures to be mining for future stars over the next couple of weeks as he drives in baby races and qualifiers at The Meadowlands.

For now, Yonkers remains home, but it's hard to imagine it will ever feel the same again for Bartlett or many others that are likely to associate the paddock area with a towering figure that won’t be there on Monday - John Brennan. "John was just a great guy. I would talk to him every day," said Bartlett. "With me, I would go into his office and my goal was to say something to get him to throw me out. There was only so much he would take."