Lexington, KY — Hall of Fame driver Yannick Gingras picked up career win 9,000 on Monday when he captured the ninth race at Lexington’s Red Mile with 3-year-old pacer Steely Knife. The colt, trained by Ron Burke, won by 1-3/4 lengths in 1:52.3.
Gingras, a two-time recipient of the Driver of the Year Award from the U.S. Harness Writers Association, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2022.
Last year, he led all drivers in North America in purses, with $15.1 million. It was the fifth time Gingras topped the money standings in his career. He has been no worse than third in purses each of the past 12 years and ranks fourth among all drivers in history in the category, with nearly $237 million.
A third-generation horseman from Quebec, Gingras arrived in the U.S. in 2001 and established himself as a top driver at Yonkers Raceway. In 2003, Gingras received the Rising Star Award from the U.S. Harness Writers Association and in 2004 he moved his base to The Meadowlands. He has won eight Big M driving titles, including in 2022 and 2023.
His lifetime victories include a record six in the Hambletonian Oaks and 26 in Breeders Crown finals, good for sixth place among all drivers in the history of the event.