Trainers Jessica Millner and Matt Hostetler both hit career milestones on Wednesday, Nov. 26 at Northfield Park, with Millner winning two races to reach 1,000 career victories and Hostetler getting his first taste of training success.

Rattling Pine ($10.40) was strong as oak on the front-end in the fourth race to give Millner win number 999. The son of Dejarmbro-Pinery led throughout and held off Bo Nanza Chip (Lavern Miller) to win by a neck in 1:59 for driver John Ciocca Jr. The gelding took his first win in eight outings since joining the barn of Millner, the sole owner of the nine-year-old.

Millner then reached four digits as Annie L ($2.60) trekked to the lead in the first quarter for Justin Irvine and cruised to a two-length victory in 2:00.4 in the 10th race. The sophomore Long Tom-Pandora As filly won for the first time in five starts for Millner and co-owners Andrew Coblentz, Ayers Ratliff, and Edward Weber.

Millner, who began her training career in 2010, joined the thousand-win club in her 8,607th start. The Litchfield, Ohio-based conditioner has set a new personal earnings record this year with more than $1.1 million. Her best yearly win total came in 2022, with 109.

A race before Ciocca kicked off the milestone double for Millner, he steered Kids Silly Filly ($8) to victory to provide Hostetler his maiden-breaking win. The three-year-old daughter of Schoolkids-Uwantonemoreplayer, owned by Hostetler, went coast-to-coast in 2:02.2 to win by a length for her first lifetime victory.

The triumph was Hostetler's first in 13 starts since he made his debut at Northfield on Sept. 17. The Middlefield, Ohio resident's trainees have earned cheques in more than half of his starts to date.

Aaron Merriman, who took his 17,000th win on Tuesday, won five races on the 16-dash program. The reinsman scored with Inquisitive Dan ($2.20), Dcrockinmoondancer ($3.60), Thornbush Hanover ($3.60), Jesmach Allmyheart ($4.20), and Bounding Delight ($4). His win total this year now sits at 834, which tops the United States dash-winning standings. 

(Standardbred Canada)