Lebanon, OH — Drivers Luke Hanners and Brett Miller combined for 11 wins on the Thursday (Feb. 12) card at Miami Valley Raceway.
Miller, who won five races, got things going in the first with a coast-to-coast victory with Good Feeln To Know ($2.80). Hanners, who took top honors with six, won the second race, using a pocket trip to take the co-featured Fillies and Mares Open II Handicap with Sarasota Hanover ($3.60). He followed that up in the very next race by going gate-to-wire with the grizzled Ohio veteran Lane Of Stone ($6.20).
In the fourth race, Miller returned to the winners circle by guiding DJ Dan ($10.00) to a first over victory. In the sixth race, Hanners picked up his third by guiding Flirtini ($2.80) gate-to-wire in a maiden trot. Not to be outdone, Miller took the seventh with Burrow ($2.60) via a second-over trip.
In the eighth race, Hanners used a familiar tactic, this time taking Strong Poison ($3.20) down the road in a half-length victory to retake the lead with four wins on the card. Responding again with a tying victory, Miller went wire-to-wire in the ninth with Double A Goldrush ($7.60). Right back in the 10th, Hanners faced a tougher time, drifting out from the gate but never finding a hole with Dry Creek Princess ($13.60). The pair was parked out from seventh and slowly ground out a first-over trip, not drawing even until halfway down the stretch and eventually winning by a nose.
Down one again in the 12th race, Miller used a pocket trip with Penance ($29.60), the highest-priced winner on the card, to even the score at five apiece. In the 13th race, the final race in the battle for Thursday night supremacy, Hanners once again set the pace with Foxy Hill ($4.80) to win by a half length and take top honors on the night.
With the racing week at a close at Miami Valley, David Miller (50) now sits atop the drivers’ standings with Chris Page (48) in a close second. Brett Miller (43) has now risen to third while Jeremy Smith (38) and Luke Hanners (37) round out the top five. Hanners and Page led all drivers with 12 wins this week.
Virgil Morgan Jr. (26) continues to lead the trainer standings as Ron Burke (20) remains in second. Heather France (19), Steve Carter (15), and the duo of Elson Miller and Ken Rucker (9 apiece) round out the top five. Morgan led all trainers with six wins this week.
Racing action at Miami Valley will resume on Sunday (Feb. 15) at 4 p.m.