Carl and Jody Jamieson have a pair of talented OSS Grassroots horses
by Matthew Lomon
Sitting one-two in the Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots division for 3-year-old pacing colts — as of July 25 — is the unbeaten duo of Out Of Ice and Fifth And Five.
Owned, trained, and driven by the father-and-son team of conditioner Carl Jamieson and reinsman Jody Jamieson, the sophomore tandem has taken different paths to the top, but remain equally deserving of their current position.
“They’re both very good horses, and they’re both very competitive,” said Jody, a winner of more than 8,900 races lifetime.
Both Out Of Ice, who is a perfect three-for-three against Grassroots competition, and Fifth And Five, at two-for-two, extended their undefeated stretches with landmark victories on July 15 at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
Out Of Ice whirled around the track in a personal best 1:49.4 for a three-length tally, while Fifth And Five achieved his lifetime mark of 1:49.2 with a 1½-length decision five races later.
“As far as Out Of Ice, he’s just becoming the nice horse that we thought he was all along,” Jody said. “It was such a huge trip the other night to come first-up in 1:49.4. He was just so impressive and I’m so proud of the horse for racing the way he is.
“Then, with Fifth And Five, the trip he went the other night, he was remarkable to go 1:49.2, I mean, wow, he was huge. He’s just a little guy, but he gives everything he’s got all the time. He just needed a little break from those creatures like Crack Shot and Set Shot, and all these horses racing in the Gold. He’s got it now.”
The standout showings also left a lasting impression on their Hall of Fame trainer.
“Neither one of them were tired at the end of the mile,” said Carl, who was inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 2013. “They got home well, and they were happy doing it.”
While Jody and Carl have crossed paths with several first-class horses over their celebrated careers, Out Of Ice and Fifth And Five’s banner start to the OSS season has been especially meaningful considering how their individual journeys have played out.
“To be honest, Fifth And Five was probably our fourth best colt training down, and we had four pacing colts last year,” Jody said. “Now, he’s arguably a Gold horse racing in the Grassroots. We felt it was best for his development to go into the Grassroots, and not that it’s easier because we’ve been going faster than all the Golds, but by the same token he’s winning, and it’s worked out well.
“I always thought Out Of Ice might have been the best colt, but he was just a little later coming around – he had popped a curb as a 3-year-old and didn’t quite get the same opportunities as Fifth And Five and wasn’t able to capitalize on them when he did. But I always thought he was a nice horse and he’s starting to show it.”
Out Of Ice’s ascent to OSS stardom as a Jamieson homebred has made his success all the sweeter.
“Lots of times horses get sold and what have you, you bypass some horses,” Jody said. “But this guy was a homebred and he was going to be trained and raced no matter what. It’s good that he’s come and he’s the best record-wise out of that mare [Warrawee Star].”
After qualifying as a 2-year-old, the Hes Watching bay immediately entered OSS Gold competition, making six starts at the level during his rookie season.
Out Of Ice finished his maiden campaign with just over $43,500 in the bank from one win and one second across 10 starts, two of which came in an elim and final of the Battle of Waterloo.
“He didn’t really get the trip scenarios that worked out for Fifth And Five,” Jody said. “He always tried hard, just things didn’t work out.”
The difference from age 2 to 3 is night and day.
“Things are just different this year,” Jody said. “He’s come back a little bit stronger and he’s developed a little more, but he’s always been a decent horse, and a horse that tries. It’s so hard to get horses that actually try and want to win, so when you get one, you got to try to find the right spots for them. So far, we’ve found those spots for these guys.”
Eight starts into his second professional season, Out Of Ice has already exceeded last year’s earnings mark by more than $4,000, finding the winner’s circle in half of his outings (4-0-0).
The key to unlocking his potential? A simple adjustment, said Carl.
“As a 2-year-old, he was always on a line – you couldn’t get him off the line,” Carl said. “But as a 3-year-old this year, he’s come back and he’s driving a lot straighter now, and of course, a lot faster.”
Out Of Ice’s teammate is certainly no slouch, either.
After defying expectations in a brilliant 2-year-old campaign, one that included an OSS Gold win on Aug. 31 at Mohawk and $173,175 in total prize money, Fifth And Five has taken yet another step in 2025.
Through eight starts, the son of Bettors Delight—Filou Fly Fast owns a strong 4-1-1 line and over $61,000 in purse earnings.
The brown colt’s current blistering stretch of three straight Grassroots wins has set the stage for a potential return to the Gold ranks later in the season.
“We’re going to race them both in the Grassroots on Aug. 2 at Hiawatha [Horse Park],” Jody said. “I think we’ll give Fifth And Five a shot in the Gold, at least… Maybe the last two Golds.”
Elevating from the Grassroots to the Gold Series will take equal parts smart planning and good luck.
“If you go into the Grassroots final and you don’t win, then you can’t race in the Super Final,” Jody said. “I think he’s [Fifth And Five] competitive with those Gold horses, it’s just a matter of things working out for us, so it’ll depend.”
As Jody and Carl aim for their ultimate goal of capturing the Grassroots final with Out Of Ice and the Gold Super Final with Fifth And Five, they’ve each traversed enough OSS terrain to appreciate the value of staying present.
Their prized pacers make that easy.
“They’re just good race horses and pleasant to be around,” Carl said. “They do their job and they’re happy doing it.”
