by Rich Fisher, for the Meadowlands publicity department

East Rutherford, NJ — Julie Miller, Andy Miller and owners Dave Prushnok, John Prushnok and Bill Gregg are at it again, but the scenario is somewhat different.

In 2009, Julie Miller trained the ownership group’s older trotter Lucky Jim to 17 wins in 18 races and $1 million in purses. He was driven by Julie’s husband, Andy.

This year, they have teamed — along with Andy’s brother Erv — to put a horse in Saturday’s $1.5 million Hambletonian at the Meadowlands as Mystery Photo will try and take home the big prize.

Mystery Photo was second to Lucky Chucky in his Hambletonian elimination. He has won three of 10 races this year, earning $111,801, and has hit the board eight times.

“It’s completely opposite situations,” Julie Miller said. “Lucky Jim was talented and gifted and at the very top of his game the whole 2009 season. With Mystery Photo, the level of competition he was at was the same, but he had kinks and hobbles. He’s definitely on a different track than Lucky Jim was. Hopefully, he’s coming together at the right time.

“I was happy with how he raced in the eliminations, and he jogged well (on Monday). Everything seems to be coming together.”

Unlike Lucky Jim, who was a press conference waiting to happen last year, Mystery Photo has been lying in the weeds. He is the Millers’ second Hambletonian starter; they finished fourth with The Chancellor last year.

USTA/Mark Hall photo

Mystery Photo enters the Hambletonian with earnings of $111,801.

“He’s been under the radar,” Julie said. “A lot of people talk about Lucky Jim; he put me on the map. Mystery Photo has been kind of a sleeper this year. Without the distraction of the media wanting to talk about him all the time, I’ve been able to concentrate on him a lot more.”

As Mystery Photo continues to improve, David Prushnok has grown more optimistic.

“He’s been trotting solid to the wire,” he said. “After what unfolded last weekend, maybe a few weeks ago we’d see if we fit with this bunch and it probably looked like there were a couple clear standouts. But now I like our chances with the best of them.

“Andy’s managed him real well; there’s more in the tank. We kind of view him as the upsetter.”

Erv Miller, who is among the horse’s owners, trained Mystery Photo in Florida during the winter and developed high expectations. He made the decision to send the colt to New Jersey, where Julie took over the training. Mystery Photo only had one start as a 2-year-old, but he came back strong at 3.

“I just kind of let him mature and develop and kept his attitude good,” Julie Miller said. “I make sure he stays healthy and just tried to give him his confidence. He was kind of immature as a 2-year-old, so my biggest job is to get the horse to develop in a positive direction, to be a racehorse at this level. Hopefully, it’s coming all together. The maturity, the gait is excellent.”

Miller has no plans to do anything different the week leading up to the race.

“We’ll stick with the same daily routine,” she said. “I’m not one to start changing things if you’re going good. I’m going to stay with the same plan it’s been all summer and hopefully that will work out.”

The cohesion between Julie and Andy supplies an added bonus when it comes to getting Mystery Photo to perform better. Unlike husbands and wives who quibble over every little thing, the two respect each other’s opinions.

“Just being in a long-term relationship, he knows where I have strong opinions about how a horse should be raced or managed and he has confidence in me and takes my opinion very seriously,” Julie said. “And I’m the same with him. I respect his decisions. We feed off each other in that way.”

The result has been positive, where Prushnok is concerned.

“Over the course of the last few years I’ve personally dealt with Andy and Julie primarily with trotters,” he said. “They have an uncanny ability to bring these things around for me like they did with Lucky Jim. They’re all excellent horse people.”

Julie is hoping to go beyond excellent, into the realms of historic this weekend as she attempts to become the first woman trainer to win the Hambletonian.

“That would be great,” she said. “I don’t care about being a woman; I just want to win it. But that would be cool to be the first woman. I’m just thankful to be in it, and it would be nice to win. I dare to dream.”