Northfield, OH – The Great Lakes Amateur Driving Association (GLADA) continued its series at Northfield Park on Wednesday night (Sept. 30) with Ryan Deaton and Susan Miller capturing their respective events, both overcoming sloppy going to reach the winner’s circle.
Deaton piloted the 8-year-old Muscle Hill horse Magical Muscle Man to a handy six-length win, scoring in 1:57.3 over Game On Girls, handled by Madison Angus, with the pacesetting Rumbleinthevalley next for Christina Johnson.
Fox Valley Nautica was fourth for Larry Ferrari while B Medithree and Joseph Kramp garnered the final check.
As the wings folded for this GLADA trot, several horses in the field had made miscues, were rough-gaited or off-the-gate. The winner, leaving from post 4, settled in the third spot as Rumbleinthevalley (post 7) out-rushed Bluebird Revival (post 2) for early supremacy.
After a hot opening panel of :28.1, Deaton gave Magical Muscle Man the racetrack and he battled Rumbleinthevalley through a :58.1 half and stuck his head in front at the third station in 1:27.4 before drawing clear once their straightened away for the drive to the wire.
Trained by Cory Kreiser for owners Daniel Schrock and Lucinda Belcher, this was the initial win of the year in six starts for Magical Muscle Man, with his career earnings now $394,729.
The winner rewarded his faithful with a $5.60 mutual as second choice in the wagering.
It was “Miller time” in the other GLADA event as Susan, Michael and Edward Miller made up the $1 trifecta result paying $127.20 as Susan Miller gave Supreme Rockette perfect handling to score a win measuring three-parts-of-a-length in 1:58.4 over a racetrack declared “sloppy.”
Peter Lets Go, beginning from the second-tier 9 post, was second for Michael Miller while Manhattanup No Ice rounded out the field for Edward Miller.
In this one, Ryan Deaton tried for the GLADA double as Kandy Sweet and Supreme Rockette got in war with Kandy Sweet taking charge in :28, cutting subsequent panels of :57.3 and 1:27.2 with Peter Lets Go applying the pressure and taking a short lead turning for home but unable to hold off Supreme Rockette, who found room to roam once they turned for the wire.
Manhattanup No Ice edged out Kandy Sweet in a photo for third. Donzel Hanover picked up the nickel for Eric Miller.
Trainer Ariel Alvarez owns Supreme Rockette, who now has six wins on the year and $39,379 in bounty, vaulting the 4-year-old’s lifetime earnings to $109,310, having improved her record and earnings in each season raced.
She’s a daughter of E L Rocket and returned $7.20 as third choice.
As for Susan Miller, primarily known for her competency as a trainer who makes only rare appearances in the sulky, her driving batting average is now a lofty .437 on the strength of a 4-2-3 scorecard in 14 starts.
GLADA is one of several amateur driving clubs in the U.S. where members donate 100% of their earnings driving in these races to causes assisting local and national charitable causes.