Schoolboy trainer Jacob Copley looks to remain at the top of his class

by Chris Lomon

There is a certain school of thought that guides Jacob Copley throughout his time in the classroom.

It is not something that detracts from his studies or negatively impacts his grades, but for the Grade 11 student, horses and horse racing do come to mind during his classes throughout the week.

Just how often?

“All day,” Copley said.

It is understandable why the young horseman — he will celebrate his 17th birthday on Dec. 31 — from Kenmore, a rural Ontario community in Osgoode Ward in the southeastern corner of Ottawa, thinks often of the sport and its equine athletes.

In his rookie campaign, Copley, whose father, Jamie, is a longtime trainer with over 1,200 wins to his name, has posted 10 wins and 23 top-three finishes from 35 starts to date, yielding a gaudy .460 UTRS.

His first training victory came courtesy of Captainofrocknroll, a 7-year-old son of Captaintreacherous out of the Rocknroll Hanover mare Rock N Roll Xample.

The milestone score came on May 25 at Rideau Carleton Raceway.

With veteran driver Guy Gagnon in the race bike, Captainofrocknroll got away last of five in the $15,000 optional claiming pace.

“Going into the race, to be honest, I thought I had no shot at all,” said Jacob, who co-owns the horse with Mandy Archer. “I raced him the week before — my first start with him — and he raced okay. He came up the inside and finished sixth, about two lengths behind the winner.

“This time, it was a five-horse field, and he had post 5. He doesn’t leave great, and the track was muddy, so we figured he was going to get away last and probably finish there.”

Horse and driver had different plans.

“He got away last, but the horse in front of him broke stride and he settled into fourth,” Jacob said. “He came first-up in the mud and kept on digging in.”

Captainofrocknroll crossed the wire a three-length winner in 1:54.2, capped by a field-best :27.4 final quarter.

“I couldn’t believe it,” said Jacob, who claimed the horse in early May for $13,000 out of a race at Flamboro Downs, “My grandparents were there, and my family was also there – it was special. I was so happy.

“I must have watched the replay 50 times. It was nice because of all the hard work I had put into the horse. The week before, he had no room, but he raced well. I made a few equipment changes on him, and I felt like I had him good going into the race.”

Jacob and his horses haven’t slowed down since.

One month after celebrating his first training win, the teenager, who currently trains four horses, won his second race, this time with Fox Hunt, a horse he co-owns with family members.

“Fox Hunt has helped me a lot, too,” he said. “He’s different than Captainofrocknroll, so it’s been good to have two horses to learn from. Not every horse is the same, so you have to come up with different strategies and different styles of training.

“They have really helped me with my overall training and my horsemanship.”

As has his family.

Helpful lessons are in abundance – and welcome.

“Their support is everything,” Jacob said. “They have helped me so much. They have a big stable of horses and I am able to get so much experience seeing how they go about things. Every decision I make with the horses, they help me if I never need anything or if I have a question.

“They tell me to just be patient, to work hard and it will pay off. They also talk about being respectful and kind. Every bit of advice someone gives to me, I listen and try to use it. I try to move forward through all the ups and downs that come with this business.”

Add school into the mix and it is a busy, but full and rewarding life for Jacob.

Balancing the classroom and the barn is, not surprisingly, oftentimes demanding.

“It’s tough, but that’s okay,” he said. “I go to the barn early in the morning, then to school, I’ll go back to the barn to put away the horses for the night and then come home and do schoolwork. That’s pretty much what goes on most days for me.”

Soon, Jacob will see studies and standardbreds link up.

“I have one semester left this year,” he said. “Next year, I am doing a full-year co-op, and it will be at the barn.”

Until then, helping hands will keep things running smoothly in the barn, courtesy of Ashley Murphy and Tim Lake.

“I have a great crew,” Jacob said. “They turn the horses out for me in the morning, and I go in after school to put them away.”

Jacob has a blueprint for his racing career, including a long-term objective he has long dreamed of.

A more short-term goal will come in the spring of 2026.

“Next April, I get to move my trainer’s license from a ‘C’ to an ‘A,’” he said. “A year from then, I will get my driver’s license – that is the main goal, to be a driver. That is my dream.”

For now, Jacob will focus on the next racing card and having his horses at their best ahead of their next start.

The aim for the rest of the year is not a complicated one.

“I would like to get more wins – that is always on the list,” he said. “I didn’t think I was going to have this good of a season. I thought it would be decent, but nothing like this. I feel lucky.”

Jacob also feels right at home in racing.

He appreciates the moments away from the hustle and bustle of race night.

“I put some music on — most of it is country — and it’s just me and the horses,” he said.

At other times, Jacob, who chose green and grey for his racing colors, opts for a different type of horsepower to relax.

“I like to go on car drives, listen to music and unwind that way,” he said. “I work out, which takes your mind off any stress, and it puts you at ease.”

Just the type of approach tailor-made for a student of the horse racing game.