At 53, driver Denis St. Pierre is on a bit of a roll.

He won his first drivers’ title last year at Rideau-Carleton Raceway and is well positioned for another this year at Hippodrome 3R in Trois-Rivieres, where his 37 wins this season give him a 10-win cushion over his nearest rival.

Hippodrome 3R offers a special cash bonus of $150 to drivers who win three races on a card and he’s received it seven times this year.

“It’s nice. It pays the gas,” said St. Pierre, who races at both Hippodrome 3R and Rideau-Carleton most Sundays.

Often runner-up to Sylvain Filion in the drivers’ standings at now-defunct Hippodrome de Montreal, St. Pierre has been driving since 1981. He’s topped 300 wins in a year three times and $1 million in earnings on 12 occasions.

His career goal is to reach 5,000 wins. He’s nearing 4,000.

“It’s not like it was, you work twice as hard for half the money, but without a dream, I’d be out of the game,” said St. Pierre, who in addition to catch-driving tends to a seven-horse stable in Les Cedres, Que., with trainer Tiffanee Staley.

(Trot Insider exclusive by Paul Delean)