Lebanon, OH — Brett Miller won eight races on the Thursday (March 26) harness racing program at Miami Valley Raceway, including both Open events for distaff pacers.
Miller got things going right off the bat, winning the first race with 2-5 favorite Abbey D, his only winning favorite, who coast to coast in 1:53.4 to win by 7 lengths. Miller returned to the winner’s circle in the very next race, being parked out every step of the way with 11-1 shot My Guy Wrapsitup but getting him home to win by three-quarters of a length in 1:56.3.
Winning again in race four, Miller used a first-over move with 8-1 Massive Desire to wear down the leader and fend off race favorite Lane of Stone in the stretch to win in 1:54.1. In race 6, he again used a late first-over move to win by 1-1/2 lengths with 5-2 Miss Clementine in a new lifetime mark of 1:54.3. Miller’s fifth win came in the co-featured $32,000 Filly & Mare Open II, carded as race 7, where he cut the mile with 6-1 Beautiful Seaside to hang on by a nose and snap Duration’s four-race win streak in the process.
He returned to the winner’s circle for the sixth time in the night’s ninth race, going coast-to-coast with 5-1 Naughty Seastar for a maiden-breaking 1:55.1 victory.
Miller’s seventh win on the card came in the featured $36,000 Filly & Mare Open Handicap with 7-2 shot No Foolin April, who left to secure the pocket behind Goo Goo Won before quarter-moving and cutting the rest of the mile.
No Foolin April held off a host of challengers in the stretch, winning by just a neck, and with the top five finishers only separated by a single length, in 1:51.3.
Miller’s final win on the card came in race 13, with another mid-range shot, the 8-1 E-Pass. Brett used a second-over trip, rallying from seventh at the half to win by a neck in 1:55.3.
On the night, Miller’s winners paid a combined $110.20 to win, based on a $2 wager in each race. His mounts only missed two checks in 14 races as he also collected a second, two thirds and a fourth.
Twelve weeks into the meet, David Miller has extended his lead atop the driving standings to seven wins with 112 to Chris Page’s 105. Brett Miller’s eight wins on Thursday moved him into third, with 84 on the meet, with Luke Hanners (76) and Trace Tetrick (59) rounding out the top five.
On the training side, Ron Burke (53) continues to show the way with Virgil Morgan Jr. (41) in second. Heather France (38), Steve Carter (32) and Mike Hitchcock (20) round out the top five.
Racing will return to Miami Valley next Sunday (March 29) with a post time of 4 p.m.