Veteran driver David Lopes proved that age is just a number during weekend harness racing at Vesey Street.The sport’s most senior driver raised eyebrows after winning three heats on two separate ponies.Lopes won two heats with 18-year-old mare L/A Erma Time and another with gelding Pastor Paul to celebrate his 71st birthday in style at the Devonshire racetrack on Friday night.“Friday was my birthday so that was my birthday present,” he said, with a huge grin. “Instead of going somewhere for dinner I raced and when you have been racing for as long as I have and you can still get out there and win it’s a nice feeling. It may not happen again so I have to enjoy it for the week.”Lopes added: “It’s a competitive sport and it doesn’t go by your age but by the speed of your horse. You can be racing against a 13-year-old and they can be racing against a 71-year old — it all depends on the time bar of what the pony is so it’s a level playing field.”When asked what has been the key to his success over the decades, Lopes replied: “You just go out there and do the best you can.”L/A Erma Time raced in the 1:10/4 — 1:12/4 time bar while Pastor Paul competed in the 1:07/2 and 1:08/2 time bar during last weekend’s opening round of the 2013-14 Cablevision Series.Lopes admits his wins with his mare came as a big shock.“I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from her because she doesn’t like training in hot weather and, of course, it’s been hot,” he explained. “She didn’t race at all last year and the year before that the last race she was in she was in an accident that put my grandson Brandon in hospital.“She’s 18 now and I’ve had her since she was three and have raced every year since except last year.“This year I decided to bring her back out and I was wondering what she was going to do and, of course, when the gate went Erma Time went and I was quite pleased with that.“She has definitely been training better the last two weeks and I guess she’s feeling fitter and lot better so she’s back out this year.”Lopes was equally as delighted to see his gelding make a triumphant return to competition from injury.“Pastor Paul’s season got cut short last year with an injury that was misdiagnosed,” he said. “But he’s out training and I’m pleased with the way he ran as well.“He got into a little traffic in the first heat. But in the second he had the rail and took off and they didn’t catch him.”Harness racing continues at Vesey Street on Friday with the second round of the 2013-14 Cablevision Series.