Garnet Barnsdale looks back on first year at helm of Horseplayers’ Journal
by Melissa Keith
Around this time last year, well-known public handicapper Garnet Barnsdale became the newest author of Woodbine Mohawk Park’s Horseplayers’ Journal. His detailed analysis and selections for every race have appeared in the program since Robert Reid, Jr. stepped back from the position Jan. 24, 2025 to train as a racing official.
Despite a string of recent weather-related cancellations at the Campbellville, ON showplace, Barnsdale was in an optimistic frame of mind when asked about his first year writing Horseplayers’ Journal.
“I’m going to be completely honest here, but I’m going to first mention that this is a dream job for me being a lifelong racing fan, handicapper, racing journalist, and bettor,” he said. “To first work for the Daily Racing Form, then transition to the Horseplayers’ Journal published right in the track program is nothing short of a dream for me.”
Barnsdale quickly added that it’s a dream that takes considerable commitment.
“Initially, I found the transition tough because of the nature of the work,” he said. “For each race in the Journal, you have to write to fill that half-page in the program as best as possible, so that took some getting used to.”
Handicapping at night, after a day at his full-time non-racing job, proved “a little tiring.”
“So, I developed a system where I do part of it at night and the rest early in the morning when I am more fresh and alert,” Barnsdale said. “I never want to do this job half-assed, so I will work at night until I’m tired, turn in early, and wake up early to finish it off.
“Now, with the current schedule… and the Friday draw being done on Monday, I have the chance to jump ahead, and I have been taking advantage of that opportunity. All in all, I’ve really enjoyed my first year doing the Journal.”
WMP race dates for January through March 2026 were approved by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) and released Dec. 23. The track will race four nights a week (Friday-Monday), Jan. 2 through March 28 inclusive. Dates for April-December 2026 are pending as of Dec. 31.
Bettors can reliably look to Barnsdale’s notes for deep dives into finding horses who break from the 2025 trend of 46.5 per cent winning favorites at Mohawk.
“I tend to take shots against favorites frequently, and post time favorites have been clicking at close to 47 per cent this year at Mohawk Park, so that makes it a bit tough,” he told HRU. “I did give out several ‘lone wolf’ winners [this meet] that no other public handicapper picked, so I’m happy about that.”
Approaching each race from a wagering perspective means finding ways to incorporate the strong percentage of winning favorites into profitable tickets. Barnsdale strongly recommended one approach.
“The absolute best bet at this track is the guaranteed $75,000 early Pick 5 because of the math,” he said. “It’s the one bet every night where you get 15 per cent takeout.”
The shift from handicapping the same track for DRF Harness consists of tailoring his insights for a specific space in the on-track WMP program.
“I am in effect telling a small story about each horse, mindful there is a certain word count that I want for each race,” Barnsdale said. “The DRF version was on the internet, so there were no space requirements or limits. It was written more in tip sheet style.”
He is his own editor, admittedly cautious about the possibility of typos.
“I have to be vigilant in the product I send,” he said. “Of course, there have been some small mistakes made along the way. I learned to not use the word ‘shot’ and instead use ‘chance,’ because if you misspell ‘shot,’ it’s usually inadvertently replacing the ‘o’ with the ‘i’ which is right next door. Obviously, that’s not good.”
Barnsdale’s discerning eye also helped identify Beau Jangles (p, 2, 1:48.3s: $1,227,326) as an emerging star, before the divisional frontrunner even made his first career start at Mohawk July 5.
“I was on Beau Jangles very early… a few seconds after his initial qualifier [June 13 at Mohawk], in fact, when I tweeted out that he could be anything after watching him close like a jet airplane with trainer Doc Moore in the bike,” he said. “I texted Peter Gross, host and producer of the Down The Stretch podcast, on July 5th that Beau would be the next great racehorse in harness racing. So far, there is nothing I have seen to make me come down from that opinion. I’m excited to see what he will be as a sophomore.”
The 61-year-old handicapper said it’s a point of pride to do his own research, rather than sourcing from horsepeople or other racing analysts.
“For better or worse, I rely on very little outside information,” Barnsdale said. “I am looking at the same thing others are, and I’ve been doing it for close to 50 years. I trust my own eyes.
“I can remember a race where I recommended a debutant off a qualifier and she won at a good price, and one of the local handicappers said he didn’t think the qualifier was any good. Now, I’m not suggesting I will always be right… I’m just providing an example of why I rely on my own eyes and notes. It’s a pari-mutuel game where differing opinions is what makes the game tick.”
The importance of post position is a constant for the Horseplayers’ Journal scribe.
“Post position changes can be huge,” he said. “I mean, consider that 40 per cent of all races are won from posts 5 and 6, and another 20 per cent won by posts 4 and 7. The middle of the gate is just better, and in any given race, you get two or three leavers from those four posts.
“Early position is critical when you consider that 70 per cent of all races are won by horses positioned in the top three at the half. Even what seems to be a slight change can be big: post 9 to post 7 for instance. Post 9 yields only 5 per cent winners, whereas the 7-hole wins at a 7 per cent higher clip.”
Making the most of the draw often comes down to driver strategy, another variable considered by Barnsdale.
“Let’s talk drivers for a minute,” he said. “I am going to single out two in particular that caught the eye this year, the first year where each got a lot more Mohawk Park drives than in the past. Travis Henry and Daryl Thiessen get a lot out of their stock and can make speed, and both have clicked with a few big longshots. Keep an eye on them in 2026.”
Bettors chasing prices must face the ongoing dominance of Mohawk’s top three drivers of 2025: James MacDonald (350 wins), Louis-Philippe Roy (268), and Doug McNair (241). Barnsdale noted that “the three of them win more than half of the races at the track.”
“Then we have Bob McClure [177 wins],” Barnsdale said. “What an absolutely flawless job he did driving Beau Jangles, using him as little as possible in the [Ontario Sires Stakes] Gold races, so he was loaded with pace for the Metro and Breeders Crown. Bob was perfect. You can’t argue with that!”
Barnsdale said handicapping Mohawk means staying vigilant about stakes contenders coming in from other jurisdictions.
“Sure, it’s a bit tougher because I don’t always have time to watch all the races at the other tracks that the Grand Circuit types travel around to… it’s a bit more work because I need to find those replays and take a look at them. A program can only tell you so much. For example, a horse can take the lead past the quarter then get overtaken before the half and you won’t see it in the program. All you will see is the horse racing second at both calls. It’s important to know these types of moves.”
Barnsdale’s love of the game has not been diminished by the focus demanded of him. He said that his favorite race of the year was not determined by a big hit, but by two colts who finished heads apart on June 14.
“Oh, it has to be the North America Cup, right?” he said. “What a phenomenally exciting race, with brilliant Louprint needing to set a 1:47.1 Canadian record to edge a dead-game longshot, Madden Oaks. That’s it, and it’s great that it came in Mohawk Park’s signature race.”
Although some public handicappers do not wager, Barnsdale sees his craft differently.
“I aim to get more aggressive as a bettor in 2026,” he said. “I have gotten almost too selective lately and sat on my hands and missed some nice scores as a result.
“I take this work very seriously, working for the best harness track in the world, and I’m trying my best to produce content that I can be proud of. Every person that holds a copy of the night’s program sees it, and hopefully uses it to some benefit. That’s never lost on me.”
