BY FRANK
DRUCKER, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway
YONKERS, NY, Tuesday, October 28, 2014—Brian
Sears won the 9,000th race of his illustrious career Tuesday night,
the milestone coming The Way I Am ($9.80) in the fifth race of Yonkers
Raceway’s 12-race program.
The 3-year-old Muscle Mass gelding went
wire-to-wire from post position No. 3, winning the mile-and-one-sixteenth event
trot by 8¼ lengths in 2:05.4.
Sears began his work night needing two
wins for the latest plateau. He took the $11,000 pacing opener with Wayward Son
($7.80), pacing the mile-and-one-sixteenth in 1:59.2.
“It’s great to win (No. 9,000) here,
because Yonkers Raceway is my home now,” Sears said, congratulatory sign in
tow. “I’m really happy to win it for (trainer) Buzzy (Sholty), because our
families have known each other for years and we grew up in the business together.”
Sears is the 15th driver in harness racing history to win 9,000
races.
A 46-year-old native of Ft.
Lauderdale, FL, Sears—the Raceway’s defending driving champion---has career
purse earnings in excess of $158 million. Prior to relocating his base to Westchester
last season, Sears was the leading driver at Vernon Downs, Pompano, the Meadows
and the Meadowlands. His escorts have made at least $10 million in purses in
all but one of the past 10 full seasons.
