Gordon Waterstone

Lexington, KY — According to U.S. Trotting Association records, Hall of Famer Mike Lachance became the first driver to win three stakes races at three different racetracks on a single day, accomplishing the feat back on March 25, 1989, when he won with No No No in a division of a leg of the North American Pacing Series at Freehold Raceway, with Sweet Sharon in the Overbid Pacing Series final at The Meadowlands, and with Matt’s Scooter in a leg of the Levy Memorial Pacing Series at Yonkers Raceway.

A similar feat is believed to have been accomplished occasionally over the years, most recently on Friday (July 2), when Hall of Fame driver David Miller actually won five stakes races at three different racetracks.

It was a very long day for Miller and a few of his peers as their travels took them to The Meadows and then to The Meadowlands, across the Hudson River to Yonkers, and then back to The Meadowlands where things wrapped up near midnight.

Hall of Fame driver David Miller won five stakes races at three different racetracks on Friday (July 2). USTA photo.

Miller’s travels began when he joined fellow drivers Yannick Gingras (who also served as trip coordinator for the group), Scott Zeron, Tim Tetrick, Corey Callahan, Joe Bongiorno and Ake Svanstedt on a private plane from Teterboro Airport near The Meadowlands to fly to The Meadows for Pennsylvania Sires Stakes and Pennsylvania Stallion Series Stakes for 2-year-old filly trotters.

Miller got his historic day started when he won race one at The Meadows (post time 12:45 p.m.), a $54,856 PASS division with Vogue in 1:58. He added a second stakes victory a few races later when he directed Gingerzzz to a 2:00.1 effort in a $20,000 Stallion Series split.

When the final stakes event was contested at 4:06 p.m., the seven horsemen got back on the plane for a return trip to Teterboro, where they separated to their own vehicles to make the short trek to The Meadowlands.

Miller had drives in the first three races on the card — all New Jersey Sires Stakes for freshman trotters of both sexes. Included among the trio of drives was a 1:56.2 score with the 2-year-old colt trotter Majestic J.

“They held them up a few minutes (at The Meadowlands) and it was close, but we got there in time,” said Miller.

David Miller won the $150,000 Park MGM for 3-year-old filly pacers with Test Of Faith in 1:53.2. Darragh Riordan photo.

Miller then got back in his car and drove to Yonkers — in traffic and heavy rain — where he won the $150,000 Park MGM for 3-year-old filly pacers with Test Of Faith in 1:53.2. That race went off at 9:20 p.m., and after he brought Test Of Faith back from the winner’s circle — where she was a bit feisty — he got back in his car for the drive back to The Meadowlands.

With traffic even heavier, Miller said he was in constant contact with The Meadowlands’ judges, and the remaining Sires Stakes races had post times that were delayed a bit.

Miller finally made it back and after an off-the-board finish in race 10 — at 10:30 p.m. — he won a $25,000 NJSS division for 2-year-old filly trotters with Venerable in 1:54.4.

David Miller capped his day when he won a $25,000 NJSS division for 2-year-old filly trotters with Venerable in 1:54.4. Lisa photo.

“Getting over wasn’t a problem as I made it there in plenty of time, and then I made it back,” said Miller. “That trip was a little tougher as it took about 40 minutes because of traffic. (The Meadowlands’ judges) were in contact with me the whole time, asking me, ‘Where are you at, where are you at, where are you at?” When I got there I got out of my truck and jumped on the horse.”

Miller’s Fourth of July holiday weekend travels continued on Saturday (July 3) when he made a return flight to The Meadows (with a few of the first group, joined this time by Dexter Dunn), where he won a pair of stakes for 2-year-old colt pacers on the afternoon card. Miller won a $54,819 PASS division with Night Hawk in 1:54 and a Stallion Series division with Boardwalk Bet in 1:53.2. Miller returned in plenty of time for the nighttime Meadowlands card, and then on Sunday (July 4) he hit the road again.

On Sunday, Miller directed Superiorcourt to a fourth-place finish in the Hall of Fame Trot at Historic Track in Goshen, N.Y. (won by the Jimmy Takter-driven Sweet Royalty in 1:58), before hopping on a private plane to Indiana where he finished sixth in the $110,000 Nadia Lobell for 3-year-old filly pacers with Continualou.