Hastings, MI — On Tuesday (Sept. 23), 13-year-old trotter Celebrity Pegasus and 73-year-old horseman Lavern Miller both came to Northville Downs at Barry Expo Center just like they would any other day: to race.
In race 2, Celebrity Pegasus (Andover Hall-Celebrity Athena), who is owned and trained by Samuel Eicher, left the starting car for early position with driver Kody Massey but ended up parked outside early leader Kings Sweetheart (David Lake) until the three-quarters. At that point, Celebrity Pegasus’ class kicked in, and he powered by to the lead by three lengths to the stretch and managed to hang on to win by a length over the hard-charging Emerald Chip (Lauren Harmon). The final clocking of 2:00 established a new track record for older trotters. The win was the 57th of the trotter’s career, and he now boasts earnings of $548,358.
Meanwhile, Miller, who has been driving horses since at least 1977, had two drives on the card: in races 4 and 7. Miller generally averages a total of 50 or so drives each year and usually only wins a handful of those on the year. But 2025 has been much kinder to Miller, who is having his best year driving in his career. Coming into the day, he had 52 drives with eight wins, two of those eight coming the week prior between a fair and Northville Downs. But on this day, Miller not only won with one of his drives, but both of them. In race 4, he piloted Bo Nanza Chip to a 3-3/4-length, 1:59.4 win for owner JD Yoder after being parked to the half. Then, in race 7, Miller once again took an ugly parked-out trip with his own Capella Star (Big Rigs-Dreamy Secret) to win by a nose over Juu Dee Kaa (David Lake) in 2:02.
When Miller pulled up in the winner’s circle, he said, “This is my very first driving double in my career!”
Miller now has 54 drives, 10 wins, nine seconds and six thirds for a UDRS of .315, and this is officially his winningest year so far in the race bike.
In the co-featured $13,200 Mares Open, Pair of Hardts (Manhardt-Earhart Hanover) and Charles Taylor shot in between horses late to win by a neck in 1:57.2 for owners Charles Taylor and Jaime Zenker.
And finally, the co-featured $13,200 Open Trot was won in coast-to-coast fashion by Rose Run Vincent (And Away We Go-Real Housewife) for owner/trainer/driver David Lake in 1:59.3 by a half length over Peter The Con (Ed Hennessey), who closed ground, albeit too late.
David Lake led all drivers on the afternoon with four wins while Lavern Miller had a training and driving double.
Racing in Hastings, Mich., resumes Wednesday (Sept. 24) with a first-race post time of 1 p.m. ET.