by Peter Galassi, for Running Aces

Columbus, MN — Gerald Longo won his 2,500th career race on Saturday, July 4, at Running Aces Harness Park.

Needing three wins to reach the milestone, Longo had three drives on Saturday night.

His first win came in race two when he guided the Gene Miller trained trotter Elvis Is Back to a lifetime mark of 2:03.3. Longo followed that by winning the third with the Jenni King owned and trained Miles O’Malley in 1:56.3, also a lifetime best.

The milestone victory came in race seven as Longo brushed to the lead by the wire the first time with I Dance Two and then held on to win by a nose in 2:04.1.

The 64-year-old Longo has purse earnings of more than $10 million in his career and once had a stretch of 18 consecutive years with earnings of a quarter of a million dollars or more.

Also on the card, D W’s Perky Joe equaled the fastest mile ever trotted at Running Aces when owner/trainer Jon Anderson drove him to a 1:58.2 victory in race six on the program.

The mile of 1:58.2 for the older gelding equaled the mark of Photo Dream (A. Hauser) set May 4, 2008, during the opening season of the five-eighths-mile oval.

Running Aces Harness Park, located in Columbus, Minnesota, races Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Tuesdays thru August 9.