by Mike Sweeny, Director of Publicity at Scarborough Downs

Scarborough, ME — Dan Deslandes, a 23-year-old Maine native, recorded the 500th driving win of his career on Sunday (June, 26), keeping the rookie pacer Golden Tree brave on the lead and holding off a finish line onslaught to reach the milestone victory at Scarborough Downs.

Michael Newman photo

Dan Deslandes guides Golden Tee to the wire to score his 500th career driving victory.

Golden Tree was the very same pacer with which Deslandes gained his 499th career score just six days earlier at Bangor Raceway, and despite 20 winless drives sandwiched around the pair, the wait certainly seemed worth the bother in order to secure the landmark win in rein to such an up-and-coming colt.

Deslandes, who has called Scarborough Downs and the New England circuit home in recent years, learned his trade on the backstretch of Saratoga Raceway as a teenager, where he jogged for his father while earning a reputation of responsibility as an in-demand warm up option on race nights. Simultaneously, the aspiring driver was putting in his required time in the morning qualifying events at the Spa City oval in order to be in position to earn his provisional drivers license immediately upon turning 18 years of age.

Once elevated to “P” status, he wasted precious little time in finding the winners circle for the very first time, teaming Miss McIvor N down Saratoga’s Victory Lane in August of 2010.

Deslandes currently resides in fourth place in the standing of Scarborough Downs drivers colony with 31 seasonal wins. With the man in red and green colors trailing only the likes of Eddie Davis, Jr., Drew Campbell and Kevin Switzer, Jr. that’s pretty good company to keep.

Scarborough Downs features live harness racing with twilight cards on Thursday, Friday and Saturday with post time at 4:30 p.m. (EDT). The Sunday matinees get underway at 1:30 p.m.

For more information, visit www.ScarboroughDowns.com or our Facebook page.