Wilkes-Barre, PA — Kevin Wallis, among only a dozen North American active drivers with at least 10,000 victories, ended his driving career on a rainy Tuesday afternoon (Nov. 1) at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono – and a win with Latest Attraction brought his final win total to 10,541.

Latest Attraction responds to Kevin Wallis’ urging to give him his 10,541st — and final — driving victory. Curtis Salonick photo.

Wallis, a native of London, Ont., who turned 66 this past Friday, guided the winners of nearly $52 million in his 45-year driving career. His total of 652 wins in his best season, 1996, landed him in second behind Tony Morgan that season.

Wallis was a driving champion at Hazel Park, where he took the dash and money titles from 1994 to 2000, and also won titles at Windsor Raceway and Pompano Park. He had 34 years where he recorded at least 100 victories, including a string of 28 straight from 1983 to 2010, and 14 seasons when his win total exceeded 300; 28 years where he posted a UDR of at least .300, including 23 consecutive seasons from 1983-2005; and 17 straight years (1993-2009) where he drove the winners of $1 million or more. Wallis also trained 964 winners since the USTA began keeping detailed training statistics in 1991.

On a day when a portion of a distinguished harness career came to a close, it seems a good balance that a trainer sent out a winner in her very first attempt. Gena Anderson, a 33-year-old from Blaine, Wash. — 10 miles away from Fraser Downs — had Howtotrainurdragon ready after 46 days away and a ship from Running Aces in Minnesota. The Dragon Again gelding was full of pace when Pocono’s top driver, Matt Kakaley, tipped him wide on the far turn and came home to win easily. Anderson also owns the victorious pacer.

Pocono will offer racing on Saturday, Monday and Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. this coming week and next, and will end its 2022 season on Nov. 19. Program pages for all Pocono races will be available on the PHHA website.