Chester, PA — Tyler Miller spent much of his spring and early summer in Kentucky, racing at Oak Grove and the local fairs with an occasional trip back east, but now he is concentrating on the Mid-Atlantic states – and he made an impact at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Thursday (Sept. 3) by winning both trotting features with “Team Orange Crush” horses.
The richer race was the $13,500 contest for developing horses, and Miller went directly to early command with the Chapter Seven sophomore colt Flex Up, then saw favorites Greenma and Moni Buys Happynes make several exchanges of the lead during fractions of :27.2, :57.1 and 1:25.2 while sitting third-inside. The two-wide outer tier behind the dogfight had not given Flex Up clearance, so Miller had to back his colt out to hook four-wide off the turn and into the stretch before getting in gear and catching Allioop Blue Chip, the horse just in front of him entering the stretch, by a neck while taking a new mark of 1:55.
The “Orange Crush” family connections show here: Tyler’s mother, Julie, trains the horse, and his dad, Andy, shares ownership as half of Miller Iannacone, who partners with Jean Goehlen, AC Crawford Racing Stable and Mortgage Boys Stable.
These connections also showed with the Muscle Hill gelding Little Expensive, winner of the $13,000 fast-class feature, with VIP Internet Stable LLC replacing the last two owners of Flex Up.
Handicapped to the outside post 8, Little Expensive was four-wide to the first turn and three-wide much of the way around it, finally getting on top by the :27.1 opening station. Little Expensive and Tyler did get a breather to the :57.2 half, then darted home in :57 to complete the 1:54.2 mile a length ahead of pocket sitter Frank The Elder, who in turn won a photo with the unlucky Yall Keep Dreaming for second.
Patrick Ryder and Corey Callahan had three driving wins apiece on the card, with two of Callahan’s coming for trainer David Wiest. Driving doublers were Tyler Miller, Russell Foster and Mark Herschberger.
Racing at Philly comes right back on Friday (Sept. 4) at 12:40 p.m., with a fine group of female pacers assembled for the $14,000 feature race; there will also be a carryover into the Pick-5 (races 5-9). Then on Sunday (Sept. 6), Harrah’s Philadelphia will host the $1.4 million Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Championships card for 3-year-olds, with many Grand Circuit stars contesting their respective $300,000 finales – and there will be a $10,000 guaranteed Pick-4 pool on the four big races. Free Philly programs are or will be available at www.phha.org.