Mike Merton notched his 3,000th career driving win on Thursday afternoon (Jan. 18) at Monticello Raceway, teaming up with Armor Hanover in the afternoon’s seventh race.
In the milestone win, Armor Hanover, a nine-year-old SJs Caviar gelding owned and trained by Doug Berkeley, won by seven lengths in 1:57.2. Merton, along with his brother Greg, has been a mainstay on the Monticello backstretch and driving colony for decades, hailing from a family that has been deeply rooted at the Mighty M since its inception in 1958, starting his driving career in amateur races, and earning his provisional license in 1991.
Merton enjoyed a banner year in 2017, driving 257 winners and amassing a personal-best $1.15 million in purse earnings, boosting his career purse earnings well over $10 million. Merton was greeted in the winner’s circle by many of his fellow horsemen, along with family members and well-wishers.
Wasting no time toward the next milestone, Merton won the Thursday finale with Ideal Candidate.
(with files from Monticello Raceway)