Jason Hughes celebrated a major milestone when he grabbed the 1,000th victory of his driving career during Saturday’s card of racing at the Charlottetown Driving Park.
Hughes went into the program with 998 wins, and for the longest time it looked like he might have to wait for another day to achieve the milestone.
Things changed for the better in Race 11 when Hughes went down-the-road with Best Risque in the $2,350 Open Mares Handicap. The eight-year-old Cammibest mare held on to win by a half-length margin over Ramblinglily.
The magical victory for Hughes came in the very next race thanks to the come-from-behind exploits of Spirit Of America. Sitting seventh for most of the mile, Hughes made bold move in the backstretch, and she maintained her solid closing speed en route to posting the 1:58 triumph by 3-3/4 lengths over Likely To Win.
Hughes finds himself in the midst of his second-best season to date based on his 2015 earnings of $214,326. He enjoyed a career year in 2014 thanks to 180 trips to the winner’s circle and purse earnings in excess of $287,000.
To view results for Saturday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Saturday Results – Charlottetown Driving Park.