Aaron Merriman notched career win 16,000 when he piloted Divas Dragon to victory in Friday’s second race at Hollywood Casino at The Meadows.

The milestone win continued Merriman’s surge through the ranks of harness racing’s “winningest” drivers. He ranks third on the all-time list behind only Dave Palone and Tony Morgan, and he’s been North America’s dash champion in each of the last eight years.

Merriman, 46, a native of Greater Akron, Ohio, said he became aware of the pending milestone only recently because no one was counting down the wins a la Roger Huston. That, he insists, is the way he prefers it.

“I don’t want pressure on me,” he said. “I’m a no-pressure kind of guy.”

Yet the pressure he places on himself would be intolerable to most. He regularly performs at The Meadows and Ohio tracks, often tackling two-a-days, and he logs thousands of highway miles to do so. Shortly after his historic win with Divas Dragon, for example, he hopped in his vehicle to begin the more than 300-mile schlep to Harrah’s Hoosier Park to drive in Friday’s final four races there.

Merriman said he’s cutting back some, but the figures tell a more complicated story. He had 4,237 starts in 2023, well below the 4,739 he recorded in 2018. Still, he had 90 more starts last year than he did in 2022. No cutback there.

Instead, Merriman has addressed the problem in a different way; he’s found a travel companion in fellow horseman Wyatt Irvine, who makes some of those long treks with him.

“That’s made things a lot easier,” said Merriman.

Years ago, as he was about to begin his assault on the record books, Merriman allowed that he once considered a career as a postal carrier if harness racing didn’t work out. Is he happy with his decision?

“I think I made the right choice,” he said. “Harness racing has given me so much, but it’s also taken so much. You realize as you get older that you’ve missed a lot. That hurts a little bit.”

Merriman prevailed by a neck in his milestone win with Divas Dragon, a five-year-old gelding by Fear The Dragon out of Twin B Diva who won a $9,028 claiming pace in 1:53.1 for trainer and co-owner Salvatore Digati.

Benjamin Hanover and Surreal Ideal continue winning ways in Opens

Looped from the gate and parked more than a quarter, Benjamin Hanover persevered, dug in late and won his fourth straight in the $26,667 Open Handicap Trot on Friday.

Benjamin Hanover was returning from a sickness scratch, and when he endured that tough opening panel, the four-year-old Sebastian K S-By A Neck Hanover gelding figured to be vulnerable late; that’s what Killer Instinct thought when he attacked first-over from fourth. But Benjamin Hanover responded to the urging of Aaron Merriman and held off Killer Instinct by three parts of a length in 1:53.2. Early leader Guido D was third.

Sarah Andrews trains Benjamin Hanover, who has won 15 of 26 starts and $150,080 lifetime, and owns with Angela Cornell.

Friday’s companion feature, the $29,444 Open Handicap Pace, unfolded much like last week’s top pace — Surreal Ideal dropping in fourth from an outside post, challenging the leader, Wild Wild Western, first-over and wearing him down late to prevail. Even the winning time, 1:49.3, was the same, although this week’s victory margin, three-quarters of a length, was narrower than last week’s. Santana Hanover finished third.

Hunter Myers drove the six-year-old So Surreal-Jkmusicofthenite gelding for trainer Vernon Beachy and owners 518 Group LLC and Gitup Racing. Surreal Ideal triumphed for the fourth time in his last five starts and lifted his career bankroll to $349,011.

Dave Palone piloted four winners on the 13-race card while Myers and trainer Brandon Presto each fashioned a three-bagger.

Live harness racing at The Meadows resumes on Wednesday, Oct. 30 with first post at 12:45 p.m.

(With files from Meadows Standardbred Owners Association)