Driver Sam Widger joined harness racing’s 7,000-win club after he piloted Yuengling to a maiden-breaking victory at Harrah’s Hoosier Park Racing & Casino on Wednesday (Oct. 20).
Widger entered the program just one win shy of the milestone, and he got to work quickly, taking the third race on the program with Yuengling for trainer Zach Miller. Yuengling was uninvolved through the early stages of the mile while Widger waited patiently to give her the green light. Turning for home, Yuengling tipped out and used a :28.2 closing quarter to record her first lifetime victory in 1:56.
Now in his 35th season as a driver, Widger recorded his best season to date in 2019 with purse earnings surpassing $3.8 million. The 58-year-old reinsman has gone over the $3 million mark in purses four times in the last five years, and has finished among the top 10 drivers every season he has competed at Hoosier Park.
Widger earned a spot in the Hoosier Park history books when he guided Bolt The Duer to victory in the 2013 installment of the $250,000 Dan Patch Invitational. He also recorded his 5,000th and 6,000th career driving wins at Harrah’s Hoosier Park.
Widger, who has a farm in Beecher, Ill., that he shares with his wife, Nancy, and their five children, loves to hunt and fish, and enjoys helping out on the family on the farm in his spare time. Widger remains humble when considering his career and accredits much of his success to hard work, determination, and perseverance.
Widger is currently third in the 2021 driver standings at Hoosier Park with 200 trips to the winner’s circle and more than $2.8 million in earnings. Trace Tetrick leads all drivers with 333 victories while John DeLong is just behind him in second with 221 wins.
Live harness racing continues at Harrah’s Hoosier Park on Thursday (Oct. 21) with a 14-race card. Live racing will follow a Wednesday-through-Saturday racing schedule through October before going to a Thursday-through-Saturday schedule in November and through closing day on Saturday, Dec. 4.
(Harrah's Hoosier Park)