Hall of Fame harness racing driver Yannick Gingras reached a significant career milestone at The Red Mile in Lexington, KY, when he notched his 9,000th career win with Steely Knife (Always B Miki) in the 9th race.
It was fitting that Steely Knife is trained by Ron Burke, a frequent collaborator with Gingras, who has driven numerous winners for Burke throughout his career.
Gingras, who will celebrate his 45th birthday on Sunday, August 4, originally hails from Quebec but has been based in the USA since 2001.
In the milestone race, Gingras guided Steely Knife from a fifth-place start to a first-over position on the backstretch. He ultimately wore down pacesetter Capytreach (Andy Miller) to secure a victory by one and three-quarter lengths, with a time of 1:52.3.
This win marked the second of the year for Steely Knife, who is owned by Burke Racing Stable, Knox Services, Phil Collura, and J&T Silva – Purnel & Libby.
According to the United States Trotting Association, Gingras achieved his 9,000th win on his 50,074th career drive.