George Brennan added his name to an exclusive list of drivers to have 12,000 lifetime victories after he won the fifth race on Monday night (Sept. 2) at MGM Yonkers Raceway with Night Hawk.
Brennan needed two tallies coming into the card to hit the milestone and got them in back-to-back fashion, prevailing in the fourth with 10-year-old Bettors Delight gelding Ozone Blue Chip in 1:51.4 and then in the next with Night Hawk, a five-year-old gelded son of Betting Line, in 1:52.2.
The 57-year-old Brennan is just the ninth driver based in North America to enter the 12,000 career win club, joining Dave Palone, Tony Morgan, Aaron Merriman, Herve Filion, Cat Manzi, David Miller, Tim Tetrick (who won his 14,000th earlier today at The Red Mile) and George Napolitano Jr. Brennan's horses have earned over $210 million, putting him seventh all-time on that list.
This year at Yonkers, Brennan is second in the standings in both number of wins and for earnings, trailing only leader Jason Bartlett.
In other news, the draw for the MGM Yonkers International Trot is slated for 2 p.m. (EDT) on Tuesday, Sept. 3. Those interested can watch the live feed of the draw on the Yonkers Raceway Facebook page.
Along with the all-stakes card on Saturday, Yonkers Raceway will be offering bettors a huge opportunity. A special mandatory payout $1 Pick 5 wager will be offered starting in race five with the MGM Yonkers International Trot. The bet includes $50,000 in carryover money funded by the Standardbred Owners Association of New York. In conjunction with the USTA’s Strategic Wagering Program, the pool will be guaranteed at $150,000 and free past performances will be available on the USTA website courtesy of Trackmaster.
Those attending the races live are invited to enjoy a buffet-style meal in the Empire Terrace dining room at $80 per person. No reservations are required.
MGM Yonkers Raceway will race on Tuesday through Thursday this week, then will be dark on Friday prior to Saturday's stakes-laden program. Post time is at 7 p.m. (EDT) other than on Saturday, as that card will get going at noon.
(Yonkers Raceway)