Ryan Stahl scored the 5,000th win of his driving career aboard Crowntime Pet in MGM Northfield Park’s opening race on Tuesday (March 3) despite being parked the entire mile.
Crowntime Pet posted a half-length advantage over his closest rival in 1:56.2. That margin was sufficient to return $51.20 to win.
The 41-year-old Stahl won his first race in 1994 aboard a trotting filly named Lojos Sharp Baby, at the Oak Harbor (Ohio) Fairgrounds. The native of Republic, Ohio rates the best horse he has ever driven as being Hypnotic Blue Chip, in the 2011 Battle of Lake Erie.
Stahl’s richest win came in a $250,000 Ohio Sire Stakes Final with Mission Accepted. It was the largest of the seven Sire Stakes Champions Stahl has driven. He currently holds the track record over the Flying Turns for freshman trotting geldings when steering Yes to a 1:53.1 win.
(Northfield Park)