Being atop the Cal-Expo "Who's Hot" list was made even more special on Thursday night, December 3 when Tim Maier notched his 2,000th career driving win.
It may have been just a Filly & Mare $4,000 claimer, but when Maier closed to win with his wife’s Little Kiera, it marked the 2,000th time the 56-year-old reinsman crossed the finish line first.
"When I started out, I never dreamed of achieving 2,000 wins," stated Maier. "Having done that, the satisfying part of it is that the majority of those wins were horses that were trained by my wife Denise and I -- many of them being provided by our longtime friend, owner, and partner of 20 years, Alan Kirschenbaum. Alan has been providing me with horses for a couple of decades now and I wouldn't be able to achieve what I've done without his help. Getting 2,000 wins makes me more than happy."
Maier went on to score in the following race with One More Molly giving his 99 wins on the season and $394,604 in earnings. With 2,001 victories to his credit, he has earned over $9.2 million lifetime.
This past Saturday, Michigan based Mark Webster also celebrated a milestone of his own. The 47-year-old reinsman piloted Realitys Place to victory in a $2,000 claimer at Sports Creek Raceway for trainer Jack Mitchell, Jr. and owner Margaret Mitchell, which marked his 4,000th career win.
The victory was Webster's 37th of the season pushing his earnings to $156,704. Lifetime, he has banked over $14.1 million in purses.
(With files from Cal Expo)