Mooney Svendsen notches up 4,000th win

Harness racing driver Lemoyne ‘Mooney’ Svendsen captured his 4,000th career victory on Sunday (June 4) at Running Aces.

The big milestone was achieved in race #10 when he delivered a big performance with the race favorite Dance Traveler (Up Front Brad, $5.40) for a new career mark in 1:53.1.

Svendsen wasted no time in taking control of the $6,600 claiming pace, sending Dance Traveler right to the front from post five. Once on the lead he settled the 7-year-old gelding by Up Front Brad into a comfortable tempo and they registered the early fractions in :28.1, :57 before turning on the afterburners during a quick :27.3 third panel which left his rivals reeling.

In the lane it was all Dance Traveler and Mooney and they checked in 3-1/2 lengths ahead of the competition to capture the big driving milestone.

DANCE TRAVELER REPLAY

65 year-old Svendsen was born in Albert Lea, Minnesota and grew up in and around the sport in both Minnesota and Iowa before venturing to many different tracks across the U.S. during a career that now spans more than 4 decades. He has called Sacramento, California and Cal-Expo racetrack his second home for the better part of 20 years, but has been a regular fixture at Running Aces since shortly after the track opened.

Mooney has frequently shared that he loves racing in Minnesota every summer where he is in close proximity to his close-knit family. He was inducted into the Minnesota Harness Racing Hall Of Fame in 2014 at the same time that his late father Lorenz was also installed. Svendsen shared that “that was one of the best moments of his life and career” and especially so because all of his family was there. Mooney also recently talked about the approaching milestone and expressed that he was striving for it for his whole family, but especially for his dad above whom he “hopes will be filled with pride”.

In addition to his now 4,000 wins, Svendsen has finished in the top three more than 12,000 times and has collected more than $15 million in purses for his owners and trainers along the way.

For complete race results, click here.

by Darin Gagne, for Running Aces