by Timothy M. Jones, USTA Web Newsroom Senior Correspondent

Springfield, IL — A 20-year-old with a “bucket list?!”

TV and the movies portray bucket lists generally for an older generation. One example is a Hollywood production titled, “The Bucket List” starring Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson.

The basic definition of “bucket list” is a list of things to do before you die. It comes from the term “kicked the bucket.”

Hannah Miller bought her first horse at 15 and has been training and jogging horses ever since.

The number one item on Hannah Miller’s bucket list was to drive in a harness race at the Illinois State Fair. Scratch that one.

The buzz of anticipation during the Illinois State Fair harness meet was who would filter through the eliminations, gaining a post in the Colt Stakes finals, worth $40,000 each.

That was one side of the coin.

The other side, a rumor that Hannah Miller, daughter of esteemed trainer Erv Miller, would make her first career start in an amateur contest on Wednesday (August 15) following the pari-mutuel card.

It wasn’t a rumor.

Hannah had passed the eye exam and written test earning her amateur license. She would start from post three behind Miller Stable member Theseyesrcrying, a Mach Three-Star Magic 4-year-old gelding pacer, with more than $70,000 in lifetime earnings.

Miller gets off the jog bike with Crime Of Passion, a winner of nearly $250,000 in his career.

Admittedly nervous before the race, Hannah is no stranger to a race or jog bike. She bought her first horse at 15 and has been training and jogging horses ever since. She’s also been an active participant in the Illinois Horse Fair’s breed demonstrations, jogging a Standardbred to race bike in full colors, normally before a packed audience in the Illinois State Fairground’s Livestock Center.

She doesn’t know if a career as a full-time driver is in her future though.

“I don’t know if I want to do a whole lot with driving in a race after this,” she admitted. “But I definitely want to start somewhere. I’m currently working on getting a qualifying and fair license. I would really like to drive in some qualifiers. Probably, down the road, I’ll drive in more amateurs and matinees.”

The youngest of the Miller clan that includes father, Erv, mother, Heidi, and son, Marcus (one of the most successful and talented of a young driving crop in harness racing), knows that for now, school is the most important seat she’ll take. Currently a junior at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, a business degree is the finish line in her sights.

“I have to go to school for a while so, I’ll take a little break,” she sighed. “Maybe down in Florida (when the Miller stable moves from Wind Gap, Pennsylvania, south for winter training) I’ll get to drive in some qualifiers. I’ll only be 30 minutes away from Dad. I should be able to go to the barn on Saturdays; still stay with the horses and keep driving.

“Driving future?” she said laughing. “I don’t know…I don’t know.

“I know I want to go to school. I would love to stay in the horse business, obviously. My whole family is in it.

“I just don’t know at this point if I want to be a full-time driver. I need to do qualifiers for a while — but make a career out of it? I don’t think it’s for me. But we’ll see. We’ll see what happens,” she said with a nervous glimmer of excitement in her eyes.

Timothy M. Jones photos

Hannah Miller made her driving debut with Theseyesrcrying.

Her father has been testing the waters with her all summer. He thought she should be in the amateur at Springfield. Hannah was uncertain if she was ready, but Dad thought she would be fine.

Erv has also lit the primer, giving Hannah experience with all facets of the racing game. She’s been taking horses by herself to race at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs and doing very well.

He’s also given her a 15 horse section of the barn at Wind Gap to manage. Every day, Hannah makes certain that those 15 horses are jogged in the right equipment, administered the correct medicines, etc.

“It’s a lot of work,” she admitted. “But it helps me grow up. It was, and is, really, really good for me.”

PRE-RACE

“As for goals? I haven’t thought about goals too much. My one goal was to drive at the Illinois State Fair. I grew up here. This is where it all began,” she reminisced.

Regarding her first start as an amateur she said, “We’ll see what happens when the gate folds. Hopefully I can sit in the two- or three-hole and catch them at the end. We’ll see what happens…I’m a little nervous,” she admitted.

THE RACE

Hannah’s plan was well scripted. Following her Dad and brother’s tips, she got away third following Walter Brown (Pam Coleman) and LR Dancing Dream (Austin Winship).

Walter Brown took the field to the quarter in :27.4, then yielded to LR Dancing Dream who cut middle fractions of :55.1 and 1:24.

When Walter Brown slowed, Hannah brushed first up with her horse, but could not catch Winship and LR Dancing Dream, finishing second. The mile went in 1:53.

POST RACE

“That was awesome!” Hannah exclaimed.

“I was a little nervous until I turned (to the gate) and once behind it I calmed down; I was ready!” she said excitedly.

Laughing she gasped, “It was really fun!”

On Friday (August 17), Heidi and Hannah left for the University of Central Florida.

Maybe she will take up the colors one day for a career in driving. In her own words however, “It’s not for me.”

But she’s also gained that taste from her first race. And Hannah Miller likes it.