Bartlett’s best year delivers driving distinction
The Dan Patch Driver of the Year said he’s grateful for the honor.
by Debbie Little
In 2025, driver Jason Bartlett took his show on the road, and it paid off in a big way, garnering him career-best numbers and the title of Dan Patch Driver of the Year.
“I took a deep breath after I heard and was just thankful for a healthy season and the opportunities that I got,” said Bartlett of his reaction to being told he was chosen as the year’s top pilot. “It’s the biggest accomplishment that we can receive. So, you know, I’m very grateful for it.”
It’s been 20 years since Bartlett left his home state of Maine to drive in the Tri-State area, mostly at Yonkers Raceway, where he just wrapped up his 14th dash-leading driving title. But he spends plenty of time across the river on the Jersey side as “Mr. Saturday Night” for The Meadowlands faithful.
“I love my Yonkers five days a week, and I do the Saturday nights at The Meadowlands,” the Goshen, NY, resident said. “So that’s kind of my six days a week, Yonkers five and Meadowlands on Saturdays, that’s kind of my foundation I guess you could say. Yonkers and The Meadowlands to me just kind of go hand in hand.
“The Meadowlands races Fridays and Saturdays and I might not be there on Fridays, but I’m there Saturday, so I’m there 50 per cent of the time.”
That time at The Meadowlands paid off for Bartlett’s followers as his .367 UDR is tops at the track among drivers with 30 or more starts, and he sits tied for third in dash wins with 81.
Bartlett is known as a driver who is quick off the gate, and although The Meadowlands typically does not play that way, he makes it work.
“Listen, there’s no secret, I’m aggressive,” he said. “I guess I would just say everybody has their own style, and sometimes on the bigger tracks, I would try to get away from my style, and I just found it wasn’t really working for me. So, I’m aggressive off the gate. In this day and age, it seems like you have to be up close, no matter what track you’re on, because they leave in :26 and they come home :26. It seems like you’ve got to be forwardly placed in the mix, and kind of just take the race as it comes after that. But, it’s hard to get away sixth, seventh, eighth, sometimes, and close into a :26 quarter. So, you know, I’m aggressive on a half and five-eighths, that’s just who I am, but it’s kind of worked for me on the bigger tracks.”
The 44-year-old currently leads North America in earnings with $16,750,188 and has the best UDR, .456, among the top 50 money earners. He also sits second behind Aaron Merriman in wins.
Bartlett is the go-to guy for trainer Per Engblom and he credits Yonkers’ top conditioner with getting him out of his comfort zone this year.
“I make such a great living in Yonkers, New York [Sire Stakes (NYSS)], Meadowlands, Pennsylvania, and it’s all a drive away and I get to go home at night to my family,” Bartlett said. “I’m making a great living, what do I have to complain about?
“So finally, Per kind of talked me into it this year, you know, traveling with some of the babies, going to Kentucky, and traveling here and there and making myself more available than I usually have been.
“And the success early kind of got me to stay doing it. And then you start winning these big races, and it’s a great feeling when you start winning these bigger races. So, I said, ‘You know what? I ain’t going to fix what’s not broke.’ So, I just kept going at it.
“For us drivers, you’ve got to be listed on the sheet for all these big days, and he always had me listed on the sheet. And, definitely, he’s the one that pushed me to go to Kentucky, to finally go out there. This is my first year to ever go to Kentucky.”
Bartlett found the winner’s circle this year in 30 races worth $100,000 or more, including four NYSS finals and two Breeders Crown finals.
When asked if Bartlett had a favorite win from this year, his answer was simple.
“Every win is special because it means something to somebody,” he said.
One thing that obviously meant something to Bartlett was breaking his zero-for-10 streak going into this year’s Breeders Crown.
He won on Night 1 with Spencer Hanover and followed that up with a victory with French Wine on Night 2.
“My initial emotion [after winning with Spencer Hanover] was I hope it’s official here pretty quick,” he said with a laugh. “Who would have thought that I would have won my first two Crowns on trotters?”
In addition to being thankful to everybody that helped him out in his career year and gave him the opportunities, Bartlett said none of his success would be possible without the support of his family, wife Kristen and sons Kobe (19), and Karter (14).
When his boys were younger, Jason spent a lot of time coaching, but with Kobe now in the workforce and Karter a freshman in high school, his days on the sidelines are over except as a fan. He gives Kristen credit for holding down the fort at home while he’s on the road and for doing CrossFit with him every morning.
“I love to feel the bottom of my lungs and push myself when I know that I’m a little bit tired or ready to pass out,” Jason said. “It’s enjoyable to me. I’ve always been that way.
“Breeders Crown night, I won with French Wine, and I jumped in my car and drove all the way through the night because I had to get home to my son because we rent a basketball court on Sunday mornings at 10. So, he told my wife, ‘How does he do that? He is, like, built different.’ It’s funny that he notices that. That I would get home at seven o’clock in the morning and be waking him up at nine to go shoot hoops.”
For 2026, Jason hopes for more of the same.
“Having a little bit of a work ethic and not saying no to people, I’ve found, has been the best for me,” he said. “If they need me to go to Pocono or someplace else, I’m not scared to do a doubleheader early in the season. I am a homebody, but I like to work. I’ll be back at The Meadowlands this winter, after Jan. 1. I’m going to try to take a month off and watch my son play basketball, and then go from there.”
