Driver Billy Dobson celebrated a special career milestone on Saturday night at Saratoga Casino and Raceway after guiding home his second winner on the card

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Leading driver Billy Dobson entered the program needing just two wins to reach the 2,000-win plateau and came one step closer with a victory in the Open Pace. Keystone Rideau found some of his backclass on Saturday night, winning the $16,000 feature in wire-to-wire fashion. The Mark Ford-trained eight-year-old pacer has climbed all the way from the bottom condition to the Open Pace within a couple of months and added a win in that class to his 2011 resume Saturday. Dobson pointed the veteran pacer, who now has career earnings of over $575,000, out to the early lead from his inside post and never looked back, stopping the timer in 1:54.1.

Dobson came right back to win the next race as well with a Ford trainee. The 27- year-old reinsman recorded victory number 2,000 for his career, piloting pacer Mcdana N to a lifetime best 1:54.2 score. Dobson’s milestone comes in a season in which he is poised to repeat as the track’s leading driver and on a night when he drove four winners.

(With files from Saratoga Raceway)