Aaron Merriman became the first driver in the history of harness racing to achieve multiple 1,000-win seasons when he scored in the twelfth race on Saturday (November 24) at Northfield Park. The triumph was a gate-to-wire victory aboard Zumba in 1:57.3 over a sloppy surface.
Harness Racing fans have been counting down Merriman's victories all over social media, tracking the well-traveled reinsman across the Midwest at racetracks near Cleveland, Ohio, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Dayton, Ohio.
Merriman raised his whip with elation as he crossed the wire to celebrate his historic achievement.
"It was such a good feeling to do something that has never been done before," explained Merriman. "I definitely got caught up in the moment as I neared the wire and knew I had it won."
Last year Merriman became only the fourth driver in harness racing history to score 1,000 wins in a single year, posting a total of 1,095 victories. It took him only a year to become the first ever to repeat that feat.
"I love to win and I don't try to look much further ahead than the next race," said Merriman. "I figure that I will just win as many as I can for as long as I can and keep driving day-to-day."
Merriman, now just 40, keeps a torrid schedule, driving in over 4,000 races during each of the last five seasons.
"I'm definitely tired, not of winning, just tired," stated Merriman. "I don't know how long I can or will keep this schedule. But I am for now. Who knows what the future will hold?"
by Ayers Ratliff, for Northfield Park