SARATOGA SPRINGS - Jean Paul Morel "JP" "Little Man" "Monk," 76, of Saratoga Springs passed away Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2012. Born March 30, 1936, in St. Theodore D'Acton, Quebec, Canada, the eighth child of a loving and caring family of 12, he was the son of the late Cleophas Morel and Appolina Lavallee. At age 16, he left home to devote his life to his forever passion, the horses and the horse racing world. He worked in Drummondville, Quebec and Montreal. JP was not more than 18 years old when he got the opportunity to go and work in the United States. As soon as he stepped on the ground, he knew this land was his.JP was the leading driver at Saratoga for the first time in 1972 and by 1978 had won six driving titles. When he won for the 3,000th time, he said winning that amount of races was great, but what made it so special was that about 2,700 of the wins came at Saratoga. When he retired, JP had more than 3,500 wins and was not only ranked 34th on the all-time list, but was the winningest driver in Saratoga Harness history.He enjoyed old westerns with John Wayne and Clint Eastwood, Little Joe on Bonanza and being outdoors enjoying nature. JP was a member of the Eagles Club.In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his wife of 29 years, Kati; his brothers, Roger and Rolland; and his sister, Annette. JP is survived by his brothers and sisters, Romeo, Pierre, Bernadette, Marie, Laurette, Georgette, Janine and Yvette, all of Canada; his companion, Nancy Ernst of Ballston Spa; and several nieces, nephews and cousins.Relatives and friends are invited to call from 2 to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2012, at Armer Funeral Home Inc., 39 E. High St., Ballston Spa. A memorial service will be held at 4 p.m. A celebration of his life will follow at The Eagles Club on Crescent Avenue on Lake Lonely in Saratoga Springs.Memorial contributions may be made to Mary's Haven, 35 New St., Saratoga Springs, NY 12866; or to your local animal shelter.Nancy would like to thank the staff of Mary's Haven, especially Ann and Robin; the staff on D1 at Saratoga Hospital; Dr. Daoul, Serge Perez, Joan and Lynn Anderson, Glenn Raia and Donna Blowers for their care and compassion.Online remembrances may be made at www.armerfuneralhome.com.