by Harness Racing Communications, a division of the USTA

Fans of Loyal Opposition might want to enjoy her next few races – they could be her last. Trainer Erv Miller expects the three-time Dan Patch Award winner to retire after the season.

“We’ll see how it goes, but unless she shows a big comeback at the end of the year, I think she’s going to be a broodmare next year,” Miller said. “We’re probably going to shut her down.”

Of course, Loyal Opposition has enjoyed previous autumns. Last season, she won her final seven starts, including the Breeders Crown. Lifetime, she’s won 19 of 30 races after the calendar turns to September, and she’s finished off the board only once.

Overall, she’s won 56 of 93 starts and earned $2.8 million while finishing worse than third just 13 times.

“All it means is I’ve got to find another one,” Miller said, laughing, about Loyal Opposition’s possible retirement. “Those kinds of horses are hard to let go out of the barn, but I’ve never thought she would be my last good horse. When I had Incredible Tillie, people told me she was a once-in-a-lifetime horse; I never one time thought that it was, and I don’t today.”

This year, Loyal Opposition has won 12 of 20 races and earned $317,323. She won six races in a row in Illinois before finishing second to Invitro in her Milton Stakes elimination. She has won two straight Milton titles, joining only Shady Daisy (1992-93) and Eternal Camnation (2001-03) as winners in consecutive years. She will start from post nine in Saturday’s final.

“She got a bad draw, but you never know what will happen; that’s why we race them,” Miller said. “Maybe we can get it done. That would be something. She’s a very special horse. She’s just been phenomenal for us.”