Harrah's Philadelphia: Driver Johnathan Ahle records 1,000th win

Johnathan Ahle drove the 1,000th winner of his still-young career on Friday afternoon at Harrah's Philadelphia, guiding the Stay Hungry filly Staying At Tony's to a 1:53 victory in one of two $12,000 features for developing pacing distaffs.

The filly and Ahle wasted little time making the top, and the pair was not threatened in the victory, winning by 2 1/4 lengths for trainer Tony Alagna, whose Alagna Racing LLC. co-owns the winner with Brad Grant.

Ahle, 29, was working in the restaurant business after graduating high school when learning that Shaun Vallee, based nearby, needed some extra help at his barn, as he was going on a Down Under mission. Ahle, who had not worked with racehorses before, took to his new environment immediately and worked under Vallee and Noel Daley, eventually bridging into amateur driving, where he showed talent quickly.

► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter

In August of 2022 Ahle decided to become a full-time catch-driver, and he has posted over 950 of his 1000 winners since then. The fact the milestone win came behind an Alagna horse also is representative of the confidence that many top trainers have developed in him.

--press release (PHHA/Harrah's Philadelphia)--