Quebec native Daniel Dube became the 24th driver in harness racing history to earn 10,000 wins as he hit the milestone mark in his final drive of the night on Friday, Oct. 17 at Yonkers Raceway.

Dube left for early position from post four with the Per Engblom-trained Crown Monarch and retook the lead at the quarter pole in the Friday finale, a $19,718 conditioned optional claiming trot. The 8-5 favourite Internationalcraze and Austin Siegelman advanced first-up down the backstretch into a gaping two-hole then took a shot in the stretch but Crown Monarch held one length clear, winning in 1:57.3 to deliver Dube's milestone moment. 

As the 9-2 fourth choice on the toteboard, Crown Monarch paid $11.84 to win. With Dube driving the four-year-old Father Patrick-Muscle Babe gelding for the first time, the trotter earned his second win of the season in 23 starts and his seventh career victory for owners Engblom Stable of Wrightstown, New Jersey and Tomas Andersson of Nossebro, Sweden.

Dube, 56, drove his first winner in 1987 and has since driven horses to more than $142 million in earnings with award-winning campaigns by Gallo Blue Chip, Rock N Roll Heaven and Emoticon Hanover among his career highlights. He has earned more than 400 wins in a single season six times throughout his career, posting a career-high 487 victories in 1995. The resident of Millstone, New Jersey had a career year for earnings in 2008 topping $8.9 million.

(Standardbred Canada)