Plainville, MA – When Kevin Switzer Jr. won the fourth race at Plainridge Park with the trotter Prescott (2:01, $6.00) on Wednesday (Nov. 27) afternoon, he registered the 3,500th victory of his career that started back in 2003.
Switzer, who is a third generation horseman, got his first pari-mutuel win at the age of 16 with a pacer named Spend Allthe Money at the North Maine Fair at Presque Isle as the betting favorite, and he’s been a betting favorite of anyone who follows harness racing in New England ever since.
For the past 21 years, Switzer has plied his trade at all the Maine fairs as well as Scarborough Downs until its closing in 2020, and at Plainridge Park, where he has been a leading driver right through today when he reached this milestone.
For his career to this point, Switzer has made 18,927 starts with 3,500 wins, 3,076 seconds and 2,762 thirds that have generated $18,552,580 in purses. Switzer’s most prolific year for wins was 2014 when he scored 376, and his most lucrative single year was 2023, when he posted $2,672,009 in earnings. Switzer’s career UDR is a lofty .324.
At the current Plainridge Park meet, Switzer sits fourth for wins, now with 101, and they have helped his connection’s horses earn just over $1.3 million in purses.