by John Manzi, for NAADA

Yonkers, NY — There’s an old adage that states ‘it’s hard to keep a good man down’. And that’s usually the case. But the same could be said about “Hurricane Hannah” Miller when she once again stuck it to the boys in a NAADA Trot at Yonkers Raceway on Friday (July 21). The talented miss survived a rough journey with Pine Tab to score a 1:59.4 victory.

It seems that Miss Miller is frequently starting from an outside post position and in her race tonight’s race she had to navigate from post seven on the far outside.But feeling that her trotter was up to the task she sent him for the front but ran into a buzz-saw when Richard Gayton, driving Highest Hill, wouldn’t relinquish command when she came calling. And because of that they trotted by the first stanza in a swift :27.4 and it wasn’t until both trotters came off the paddock turn side-by-side did Miller and Pine Tab clear to the lead.

“My horse left (the gate) good but when I got alongside Mr. Gayton I could see he had no intentions of letting me go,” she said. “When we finally got the lead I knew the swift early fractions were going to take a toll later in the race.”

Pine Tab led the field by the halfway point in :58 and was still safely in command when they passed the three-quarter pole in 1:29.

However, after rebuffing a challenge by Kelly Walker with Stemilt Touch Hannah and Pine Tab braced for Keenan and John Calabrese who were sailing along in the catbirds seat during the early going. And although Keenan was fresh he didn’t have enough to overtake Pine Tab in the deep stretch and Calabrese and his trotter had to settle for second money.Toss Cartwright and Peter Kleinhans, who were in the back of the pack during the early going, got up for the show dough.

“To be honest, my horse was tired as we headed down the stretch and I was so glad for the track change,” Miller said referring to the recently shortened the homestretch.

Pine Tab, a veteran 8-year old Cantab Hall gelding is owned by JL Benson Stables and trained by Nick Surick.

Tomorrow night Miller will compete again when Yonkers Raceway hosts the Billings Series $15,000 East Region #1 Final.