Brown Celebrates Career Milestone

Driver Gord Brown opened Sunday night's harness racing card at Rideau Carleton Raceway by steering Rosa Santanna to his 4,000th career victory.

Brown made the winning move in the evening's first race with the favoured four-year-old pacing mare down the backstretch, sending her from third to first and then drawing away around the final turn for the wide-open win measuring six and half lengths. The 1:59.1 clocking was a new lifetime mark for Rosa Santanna and the win was her third in a row. Early race leaders Angel Land and Stephane Lareau stayed for second while Santanna Anna and Guy Gagnon finished third.

The 53-year-old resident of Cobourg, Ont. drove Rosa Santanna for trainer Gerard Demers and owners Les Ecuries Gld Inc. and Benoit Audet.

Following the race, a special winner's circle presentation was made to Brown to congratulate him on his driving achievements.

With his family rooted in harness racing, Brown began his driving career in 1982. He has been one of the top drivers at Rideau Carleton and Kawartha Downs for many years. To date, horses driven by the Brown have earned close to $19.2 million in purses.

With the victory in Sunday's first race, Brown tied Lareau atop the 2015 Rideau driver standings, notching his 18th win at the Ottawa oval this year. However, Lareau countered with two victories on the 11-race card to take back the top spot on the leaderboard. One of his wins came in the co-featured $6,500 Winners Over $25,000 Lifetime/Not Listed Preferred Handicap Trot aboard Intense America (1:57.4), who earned her second straight victory since shipping to Rideau for trainer Dany Fontaine and Ecurie Gaetan Bono Inc. The matching top level pace went to another repeat winner, Anderlecht (1:55), with Rheo Filion driving for John MacMillan.

To view Sunday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Sunday Results - Rideau Carleton Raceway.