Trainer Gary Contessa sent out his 157th winner of the year at New York Racing Association tracks when Silver Prospector made all the pace to capture the first race at Aqueduct on Saturday.

With the victory, Contessa eclipsed Frank Martin’s mark of 156 wins set in 1974. Charles Petigrow’s Silver Prospector was the 1,122nd starter of 2007 for Contessa, who came close to the record last year with 151 victories from 885 starters. 

“Other than the birth of my children and marrying my wife, this is the best day of my life,” Contessa said from his home in Saratoga Springs where he watched the race with his family. “This is certainly the greatest thing that has ever happened to me in this business.”

Contessa, 50, worked for Martin for five years before going out on his own in 1985, and he credits the Racing Hall of Fame trainer with teaching him much of what he knows about training.

“Frank made me my future,” Contessa said. “I would have been happy just tying his record. I saw Frank yesterday and we talked about the record and he was very happy for me.

“I really have to thank my assistants Marcelo Arenas, Arty Groeschel, and Scott Acker, all my exercise riders, grooms, and foremen. This really was a team effort.”

Of Contessa’s 157 winners this year, 108 of them have been owned by Steve Sigler’s Winning Move Stable. He will easily repeat as NYRA’s leading trainer for 2007 and Winning Move Stable will also be leading owner for consecutive years.