Jim Pantaleano reached the 6,000 career win mark with two victories at Freehold Raceway on Friday.
With wins in the ninth race aboard Stunt Man Hall ($3.40) and 11th with Devine Filly ($3), the 50-year-old Cleveland, Ohio native reached the milestone.
Pantaleano drove in his first race when he was 16 years old at a matinee fair in Ohio and won his first pari-mutuel race at Northfield Park in 1985. His career best win total of 436 was reached in 2002, 2003 and again in 2010 while his best money won total of $5,659,812 was reached in 2011.
Pantaleano was also feted (with the requisite sign) later at Yonkers Raceway for reaching the milestone.
Live racing resumes at Freehold Raceway on Saturday with the featured Hurricane Sandy Pace and “Racing Toward Recovery Day.” Freehold will donate all net proceeds from live racing to The FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties. Post time for the first race is 12:30 p.m.
(With files from Freehold Raceway and Yonkers Raceway)